Chapter Ambrosian Chant to Amiel of A by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Minnesota, gophers; Mississippi, tadpoles; Missouri, pukes; Nebraska, bug-eaters; Nevada, sage hens; New Hampshire, granite boys; New Jersey, blues or clam-catchers; New York, knickerbockers; North Carolina, tar-boilers and tuckoes; Ohio, buck-eyes; Oregon, web-feet and hard-cases; Pennsylvania, Pennanites and leather-heads; Rhode Island, gun-flints; South Carolina, weasels; Tennessee, whelps; Texas, beef-heads; Vermont, Green Mountain boys; Virginia, beadies; Wisconsin, badgers.

American Notes, by Charles Dickens (1842). The book was well received in England, but gave great offence in America. A reply, called Change for American Notes, was published by an American lady, cutting up the book hip and thigh.

American States. The eight states, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, derive their names from their respective chief rivers.

Amethyst is said to dispel drunkenness. (Greek, a, privative; methusis, “drunkenness.”)

Ameuti, the heaven of Egyptian mythology.

Open the gate of heaven … open the gate of the starry region; open the gate of Ameuti!—Inscription on the mummy opened by Pettigrew, in 1836.

Amgiad, son of Camaralzaman and Badoura, and half-b rother of Assad (son of Camaralzaman and Haiata lnefous). Each of the two mothers conceived a base passion for the other’s son, and when the young princes revolted at their advances, accused t hem to their father of designs upon their honour. Camaralzaman ordered his emir Giondar to put them both to death, but as the young men had saved him from a lion, he laid no hand on them, but told them not to return to their father’s dominions. They wandered on for a time, and then parted, but both reached the same place, which was a city of the Magi. Here by a strange adventure Amgiad was made vizier, while Assad was thrown into a dungeon, where he was designed as a sacrifice to the fire-god. Bostana, a daughter of the old man who imprisoned Assad, released him, and Amgiad out of gratitude made her his wife. After which the king, who was greatly advanced in years, appointed him his successor, and Amgiad used his best efforts to abolish the worship of fire and establish “the true faith.”—Arabian Nights (“Amgiad and Assad”).

Amhara, the kingdom in which was the “happy valley,” where the Abyssinian princes were doomed to live. The valley was encompassed by mountains, and had but one entrance, which was under a cavern, concealed by woods and closed by iron gates.—Dr. Johnson: Rasselas (1759).

Amias, a squire of low degree, beloved by Æmilia. They agreed to meet at a given spot, but on their way thither both were taken captives—Amias by Corflambo, and Æmilia by a man-monster. Æmilia was released by Belphœbê, who slew “the caitiff;” and Amias by prince Arthur, who slew Corflambo. The two lovers were then brought together by the prince “in peace and settled rest.”—Spenser: Faërie Queene, iv. 7, 9 (1596).

Amidas, the young er brother of Bracidas, sons of Milesio; the former in love with the dowerless Lucy, and the latter with the wealthy Philtra. The two brothers had ea ch an island of equal size and value left them by their father, but the sea daily added to the island of the younger brother, and encroached on that belonging to Bracidas. When Philtra saw that the property of Amidas was daily increasing, she forsook the elder brother and married the wealthier; while Lucy, seeing herself jilted, threw herself into the sea. A floating chest attracted her attention; she clung to it, and was drifted to the wasted island. The chest was found to contain great riches, and Lucy gave its contents and herself to Bracidas. Amidas claimed the chest as his own by right, and the question in dispute was submitted to sir Artegal. The wise arbiter decided, that whereas Amidas claimed as his own all the additions given to his island by the sea, Lucy might claim as her own the chest, because the sea had given it to her.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, v. 4 (1596).