The knave of clubs, short for Pamphile, the French word for the knave of clubs.
“Dr. Johnson’s derivation of Pam from palm, because ‘Pamʹ triumphs over other cards, is extremely comic. Of course, Pam is short for Pamphile, the French name for the knave of clubs.”—Notes and Queries (W. W. Skeat, 1 May, 1836), p. 358.
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