assmanship

assmanship

English

Etymology

assman +‎ -ship

Noun

assmanship (uncountable)

1. The skill of riding a donkey.
   • 1828, Henry Angelo, Reminiscences of Henry Angelo, with Memoirs of His Late Father and Friends, London: Henry Colburn, p. 346,

     Ned Shuter’s assmanship, however, was not an unique performance, exhibited in this double character; for the celebrated Joe Haines, a comedian, in the reign of Queen Anne, spoke an epilogue on assback, at Lincoln’s-Inn-fields theatre;

   • 1843, Thomas Wilson, The Pitman’s Pay and Other Poems, Gateshead: William Douglas, Notes, p. 96,

     He had put the assmanship of many to the test, but none were able to sit him, whenever he had arrived at a suitable place for depositing his load […]

   • 1906, E. V. Lucas, “Scourhill’s Adventures” in Forgotten Tales of Long Ago, London: Wells-Gardner-Darton, 1907, p. 163,

     […] Master Scourhill would find himself much fatigued after his brilliant display of assmanship, which so much astonished the village.

   • 2005, Bryan Gallagher, Barefoot in Mullyneeny, London: HarperCollins, Chapter , p. 133,

     Eventually the master blew the whistle, the asses were rehoused and we trooped back to school, sweating, excited, recounting mighty deeds of assmanship.