subs. (American).—1. A blockhead. Anglicé, ‘as stupid as an oyster.’ Shakespeare (Much Ado about Nothing, ii. 3) has ‘Love may transform me to an oyster; but I’ll take my oath on it, till he hath made an oyster of me, he shall never make me such a fool.’—See CHOWDER-HEADED; chowder is a favourite form of serving clams.
1871. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Sketches, I., 46, ‘Answers to Correspondents.’ A fine stroke of sarcasm, that, but it will be lost on such an intellectual CLAM as you.
2. The mouth or lips. Also CLAM-SHELL. ‘Shut your CLAM-SHELL’ = ‘Shut your mouth.’ The padlock now used on the United States mail-bags is called the ‘Clam-shell padlock.’ For synonyms, see POTATO-TRAP.
1825. NEAL, Brother Jonathan, I., 143. Shet your CLAM, our David.
1848. J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers, II., p. 19.
| You don’t feel much like speakin’, | |
| When, ef you let your CLAMSHELLS gape, a quart o’ tar will leak in. |
1848. BARTLETT, Dictionary of Americanisms. SHUT UP YOUR CLAM-SHELLS. Close your lips together; be silent. Common along the shores of Connecticut and Rhode Island, where clams abound. Same as ‘shut your head.’
