in several of the English glossaries. In this country it is only heard among the most illiterate.

ARGUFYING. Arguing.

I listen to a preacher, and try to be better for his argufying. — Sam Slick, Human Nature.

ARISTOCRATIC. Strangely misapplied in those parts of the country where the population is not dense. The city, in the surrounding country towns, is deemed "aristocratic." The people in the villages consider the inhabitants of the towns" aristocratic," and so on. The term is not applied so much to those who make pretensions as to those who live in better style, and have more of the comforts and refinements of life about them; it is very common in small country newspapers and in political speeches in out of the way places.

There have been more than one hundred steamboat arrivals here since our last issue. We believe that the aristocratic Mayflower was among them.-Illinois Paper.

ARK. A large boat, employed on our rivers before the introduction of steamboats, to transport merchandise. See Flat-Boat.

ARKANSAS TOOTHPICK. A bowie knife of a peculiar kind, the blade of which shuts up into the handle.

Straightway leaped the valiant Slingsby

Into armor of Seville,

With a strong Arkansas toothpick,

Screwed in every joint of steel.

Bon Gaultier, American Ballads.

ARMORY. A place or building where fire-arms are manufactured; as, the "Springfield Armory."

AROUND. About, near; as, "Sam is around in New York.”

I was standing around when the fight took place. - Police Gazette.

A friend assures me he has heard a clergyman in his sermon say of one of the disciples, that "he stood around the cross."

ARRIERO. (Span.) A muleteer. The Mexicans, who are the most ex

pert in this business, are invariably employed in Texas, and for all mule trains used in the commerce of the prairies.

ARROW HEAD. (Sagittaria variabilis.) A common and very variable aquatic plant, so called from the shape of its leaf.

ARROW WOOD. (Viburnum dentatum.) It is from the long and straight stems of this shrub that the Indians between the Mississippi and the Pacific make their arrows.

ARROYO. (Span.) See Gulch.

ARY or AIRY. A common corruption of e'er a; as "Lend me a dime." "I haven't got ary one." See also Nary.

The Court do declare, that if R. S arrest or molest any member of this colony, in airy other jurisdiction for lawfully obstructing him, this colony will stand by such.- Rhode Island Col. Records, 1659.

As, for that, which; as "nobody as I ever heard on." This vulgarism is confined to the illiterate. It is noticed in the Craven and Herefordshire Glossaries.

As GOOD AS. In the phrase, I'd as good's go to New York, instead of "I might as well go to New York." Only heard among the illiterate. AS LONG AS. Because, since. "We'll come, as long as it's pleasant."

New York.

ASH-CAKE. A corn-cake baked in the ashes.

Southern.

ASH-CART. A cart that goes from door to door to collect ashes.

ASH-HOPPER. A lye cask, or an inverted pyramidal box to contain ashes,

resembling a hopper in a mill. people make their own soap.

They are common in the country, where

ASHLANDERS. A club of Baltimore rowdies, so named probably from Henry Clay, of Ashland.

ASSOCIATED PRESS. A number of newspaper establishments in New York and elsewhere, which have entered into a joint arrangement for procuring telegraphic and other news to be equally furnished to them all, have assumed the name of "The Associated Press."

ASSOCIATION. 1. In ecclesiastical affairs, a society of the clergy, consisting of a number of pastors of neighboring churches, united for promoting the interests of religion and the harmony of the churches. - Web

ster.

2. In civil affairs, this word is much used at the present day, to denote the principle of uniting the producing classes in societies, for the purpose of obtaining for themselves a larger share of the fruits of their labor.

We do not claim that our rules are perfect, but we wish to make them so; being firmly convinced that the science taught by Fourier will ultimately lead us into true Association, if we follow it as a science, and that we must have some correct rules of progress to govern us during the transition period from civilization to Association.-N. Y. Tribune.

ASSOCIATIONAL. Pertaining to an association of clergymen. Webster.

-

In order to obtain a license, and afterwards to be admitted to ordination, they (the students in divinity) must, in each case, pass through the Associational or Pres byterian examination. — Quarterly Review, 1815.

ASSOCIATIONIST. One who advocates the Fourier doctrine of association.

AT, for by. Used in the expression, "Sales at auction."

The English say, "Sales by auction," and this is in analogy with the expressions, Sales by inch of candle; Sales by private contract. - Pickering's Vocab.

AT, for in. The very common expressions "at the North," "at the West," instead of "in the North," "in the West," offend an English ear.

Ar is often used superfluously in the South and West, as in the question, "Where is he at?"

AT THAT. A cant phrase, which has recently become popular. It is used to define more nearly or intensify something already said; as, "He's got a scolding wife, and an ugly one at that."

Liquor up, gentlemen." We bowed. "Let me introduce you to some of the most highly esteemed of our citizens." We bowed again. "Now then, Mister," turning to the man at the bar, "drinks round, and cobblers at that."— Notes on the N. Western States, Blackwood, Sept., 1855.

ATAJO. (Span., pron. atáho.) A drove of pack-mules.

ATAMASCO LILY. (Amaryllis atamasco.) A small one-flowered lily, held in like esteem, in Virginia and North Carolina, with the daisy in England.

ATLANTIC STATES.

States bordering on the Atlantic.

ATOLE. In the Spanish portions of North America, gruel, generally of corn-meal.

ATTITUDINIZE. To assume affected attitudes. - Worcester.

AUNTY. A familiar term, often used in accosting an elderly woman.

AUTHORITY. In Connecticut the justices of the peace are denominated the civil authority.— Webster.

Mr. Pickering says:

"This word is also used in some of the States in speaking collectively of the professors, etc., of our colleges, to whom the government of those institutions is intrusted."

The authority required him to give bonds for his good behavior. — Miss H. Adams's Hist. of New England, p. 64.

AVAILABLE. That be used with success or advantage. may

Worcester.

For some months past, a regular system of crying down Mr. Clay as unavailable, has been prosecuted with indefatigable energy and adroitness throughout the Union. Mr. Clay is a great man- able statesman-all of us prefer him to anybody else if he could be elected, but I'm afraid he is n't available. · Letter in N. Y. Tribune, May, 1848.

AVAILABILITY. Quality of being available.-Worcester. That qualification in a candidate which implies or supposes a strong probability of his success, apart from substantial merit, a probability resulting from mere

personal or accidental popularity. The thing has long existed in the papal government, where the advanced age of a candidate for the triple crown has often been the motive of his election; the idea being that he would soon die out of the way, and leave the chair vacant for a new trial of strength under more favorable auspices, perhaps, for some of the electing cardinals. Inoffensiveness-exemption from strong hostility in any quarter is a frequent element of availability.-J. Inman.

As this word is not noticed by any lexicographer except Dr. Worcester, and is now much used, it is thought advisable to give several examples of its use.

These political conventions are certainly becoming more odious and objectionable from year to year, and availability, not merit or qualifications, is the only requisite to secure a nomination. — Baltimore Cor. of the N. Y. Herald, May, 1848.

The only possible motive for the choice of Mr. Cass, that we can imagine, is his presumed availability, the elements of this being his known predilection, real or assumed, for territorial acquisition in all quarters, by warlike means as well as others, and his avowed devotion to the Southern or slave-holding interest. — N. Y. Com. Adv., May 26, 1848.

The whigs, within the last few days, have presented candidates for the highest office in the gift of the people, who are without any principles. . . . What do they mean by this in thus presenting candidates who have no principles? They procced on the principle of mere availability, and nothing else. They are again going to insult your judgments, and tarnish the character of the nation, by their exhibitions of coon-skins and hard cider, and their midnight debaucheries, as they did in 1840. — Speech of J. Bowlin, N. Y. Herald, June 12, 1848.

AVAILED. Dr. Witherspoon notices this word as used in the following example: "The members of a popular government should be continually availed of the situation and condition of every part."- Works, Vol. IV. p. 296.

The newspapers sometimes say, "an offer" (for instance) "was made but not availed of."

AVAILS. Profits, or proceeds. It is used, in New England, for the proceeds of goods sold, or for rents, issues, or profits.— Webster.

Expecting to subsist on the bounty of government, rather than on the avails of their own industry. Stoddard's Louisiana.

It is used in other parts of the country in like manner.

AVALANCHE. A Texan corruption of the French Ambulance. A spring

waggon.

AVERSE. On the use of this word, Mr. Pickering has the following remarks: "American writers, till within some years past, generally employed the preposition to instead of from with this adjective." Dr. Witherspoon thinks, that "as averse properly signifies turned away, it seems an evident improvement to say averse from;" and the Scottish writers

generally seem to have preferred this. Dr. Campbell, however, observes, that "the words averse and aversion are more properly construed with to, than with from. The examples in favor of the latter preposition are, beyond comparison, outnumbered by those in favor of the former. The argument from etymology is here of no value, being taken from the use of another language. If, by the same rule, we were to regulate all nouns and verbs of Latin original, our present syntax would be overturned." Dr. Webster remarks to the same effect. Mr. Todd says many examples may be brought to show the prevalent use of the word from in connection with averse, before Clarendon; but now the usage of to prevails..

AVOCADO PEAR. See Alligator Pear.

AWFUL. 1. Disagreeable, detestable, ugly. A word much used among the common people in New England, and not unfrequently among those who are educated. The expression, "an awful-looking woman," is as often heard as "an ugly woman."

The country people of the New England States make use of many quaint expressions in their conversation. Every thing that creates surprise is awful with them: "What an awful wind! awful hole! awful hill! awful mouth! awful nose!" Lambert's Travels in Canada and the United States.

etc.

The practice of moving on the first day of May, with one half the New-Yorkers, is an awful custom. - Major Downing, May-Day in New York.

2. Very great, excessive. This sense of the word is peculiar to the West.

Pot-pie is the favorite dish, and woodsmen, sharp set, are awful eaters. — Carlton, The New Purchase, Vol. I. p. 182.

It is even used in this sense adverbially, and with still greater impropriety, like many other adjectives. Thus we not unfrequently hear such expressions as "an awful cold day."

There was Old Crane pokin' round among the gals, and mighty particular to Kezier Winkle. Ain't it ridiculous? I don't see what he could fancy about her. I never thought she was so awful handsome as some folks does. - Widow Bedott Papers.

AWFULLY. Exceedingly, excessively.

The chimneys were awfully given to smoking. — Carlton, New Purchase.

To AXE. (Ang. Sax. acsian, axian.) To ask. This word is now considered a vulgarism; though, like many others under the same censure, it is as old as the English language. Among the early writers it was used with the same frequency as ask is now. In England it still exists. in the colloquial dialect of Norfolk and other counties. "A trueborn