Idiom idiom
sham Abraham
Meaning
To pretend sickness or insanity.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He is just shamming Abraham to avoid his chores.”
“The soldier tried to sham Abraham to escape the dangerous mission, but the doctor saw through the act.”
“Fearing the harsh consequences of his crimes, the prisoner began to sham Abraham in hopes of being transferred to a medical facility.”
Origin
first recorded 18th c.
first recorded 18th c.
First use appears c. 1752. From sham + Abraham man (“a beggar who pretends to be ill”)
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026