namous
English
Alternative forms
- nammous, nammus, nommous, nommus, namase (rare)
Etymology
UK 19th century. Probably from Spanish vamos (“we go”) or vámonos (“let's go”). Possibly influenced by German nehmen (“to take”). Cognate with English vamoose.
Verb
namous (third-person singular simple present namouses, present participle namousing, simple past and past participle namoused)
- (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) To run away; to leave; to depart.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:namous.
Synonyms
- See Thesaurus:flee or Thesaurus:leave
Interjection
namous!
- (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Look out! Beware!
- 1851, Mayhew, Henry, “Gambling of Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1, page 17:
- One boy (of the party) is always on the look out, and even if a stranger should advance, the cry is given of "Namous" or "Kool Eslop." Instantly the money is whipped-up and pocketed, and the boys stand chattering and laughing together.
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Synonyms
- See Thesaurus:heads up
References
- Farmer, John Stephen (1902) Slang and Its Analogues, volume 5, page 12
- Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of the Underworld, London, Macmillan Co., 1949
Anagrams
- samoun