Brewer's: Adam

The Talmudists say that Adam lived in Paradise only twelve hours, and account for the time thus:—

The first hour, God collected the dust and animated it. The second hour, Adam stood on his feet. The fourth hour, he named the animals. The sixth hour, he slept and Eve was created. The seventh hour, he married the woman. The tenth hour, he fell. The twelfth hour, he was thrust out of Paradise.

The Mohammedans tell us he fell on Mount Serendib, in Ceylon, where there is a curious impression in the granite resembling a human foot, above 5 feet long and 2.5; feet broad. They tell us it was made by Adam, who stood there on one foot for 200 years to expiate his crime; when Gabriel took him to Mount Arafath, where he found Eve. (See Adam's Peak.)

Adam was buried, according to Arabian tradition, on Aboucais, a mountain of Arabia.

The old Adam; beat the offending Adam out of thee; the first Adam.

Adam, as the head of unredeemed man, stands for “original sin” or “man without regenerating grace.”

The second Adam; the new Adam, etc.; I will give you the new Adam.

Jesus Christ, as the covenant head, is so called; also the “new birth unto righteousness.”

When Adam delved and Eve span

“Au temps passé, Berthe filait.” This Bertha was the wife of King Pepin.

When Adam delved and Eve span Who was then the gentleman?

Adam

A sergeant, bailiff, or any one clad in buff, or a skin-coat, like Adam.

“Not that Adam that kept Paradise, but that Adam that keeps the prison.”

—Shakespeare: Comedy of Errors, iv. 3.

A faithful Adam

A faithful old servant. The character is taken from Shakespeare's comedy of As you like it, where a retainer of that name, who had served the family sixty-three years, offer to accompany Orlando in his flight and to share with him his thrifty savings of 500 crowns.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Adam Bell

Ad vitam aut culpam