He has a SPRING at his elbow

Insights

Cheating and Deception

The primary meaning, especially in the context of a 'gamester' (gambler), is that the person is cheating. The 'spring' is a metaphor for a hidden device or a practiced, swift movement used to manipulate cards or dice dishonestly.

Restlessness and Unpredictability

Beyond gambling, the proverb can describe anyone who is restless, fidgety, or prone to sudden, unpredictable actions. Their movements are not fluid but sharp and surprising, suggesting a nervous or agitated energy.

Hidden Advantage

The 'spring' symbolizes any hidden advantage or unfair tool that someone uses to get ahead. It represents a secret resource that allows for unnaturally swift success, whether in games, business, or social maneuvering.

Historical Mechanics and Deceit

The proverb taps into the early modern fascination with automata and hidden mechanisms. The 'spring' symbolizes a concealed, almost magical device that produces an unnatural or surprising result, reflecting a world where clockwork marvels were becoming more common and fueling suspicions about what could be hidden from sight.

Gambling Subculture

This phrase vividly captures the social environment of historical gambling dens. It's a piece of subcultural slang used to identify a cheater, revealing the blend of entertainment, risk, and suspicion that characterized these spaces. It's a warning disguised as an observation.

Psychology of Suspicion

The proverb speaks to a psychological tendency to attribute extraordinary skill to unfair advantages. When a gambler's success seems too consistent, observers suspect a hidden mechanism—the 'spring'—rather than mere luck or legitimate talent, revealing a deep-seated distrust of outcomes that defy probability.

Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

The core of the proverb is the metaphor of the 'spring,' which powerfully represents a source of hidden, artificial, and sudden energy, perfectly encapsulating the nature of a cheat's secret actions.

Imagery

The phrase creates a distinct and memorable visual of a mechanical, almost inhuman joint. This imagery suggests that the person's actions are not natural but are instead contrived and deceptive.

Synecdoche

The 'elbow' functions as a synecdoche, representing the entire apparatus of the gambler's deceit. It is the pivotal point of action for dealing cards or throwing dice, and thus stands in for the whole cheating enterprise.