mahcheen
A merchant. Chinese pronunciation of the English word.—Anglo-Chinese.
English · UK & Ireland 17968
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Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
mahogany
"to have one’s feet under another man’s MAHOGANY," to sit at his table, be supported on other than one’s own resources; "amputate your MAHOGANY," i.e., go away, elaboration of "cut your stick."
mahometan gruel
Coffee: because formerly used chiefly by the Turks.
maiden sessions
A sessions where none of the prisoners are capitally convicted.
To post a letter; "this screeve is mailed by a sure hand."
main-toby
The highway, or the main road. See TOBY.
make
Any one is said to be "on the MAKE" who asks too high a price for his goods, or endeavours in any way to overreach.
make tracks
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
make weight
A small candle: a term applied to a little slender man.
make-up
Personal appearance.—Theatrical.
makings
Materials. A man is often said to have the MAKINGS of a good politician (or whatever he may aspire to be) in him, if they were but properly applied.
malapropism
An ignorant, vulgar misapplication of language, so named from Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Sheridan’s famous comedy of the Rivals. Mrs. Partington afterwards succeeded to the mantle of Mrs. Malaprop; but the phrase Partingtonism is as yet uncoined, for the simple reason that Mrs. Malaprop was the original, Mrs. Partington the imitation.
malingeror
A military term for one who, under pretence of sickness, evades his duty.
malkintrash
One in a dismal garb.
malley
A gardener.—Anglo-Indian.
malmsey nose
A red pimpled snout, rich in carbuncles and rubies.
man a-hanging
A man in difficulties. See HANGING.
man in the moon
The gentleman who is supposed to find the "pieces" to pay election expenditure and electors’ expenses, so long as the latter vote his way. See ELECTION INQUIRIES.
man of the town
A rake, a debauchee.
man of the turf
A horse racer, or jockey.
man trap
A woman's commodity.
man-handle
To use a person roughly, as to take him prisoner, turn him out of a room, or give him a beating.
mandozy
A term of endearment among East-end Jews; probably from the valiant fighter named Mendoza.
manoeuvring the apostles
Robbing Peter to pay Paul, i.e. borrowing of one man to pay another.
manufacture
Liquors prepared from materials of English growth.
marbles
Furniture, movables; "money and MARBLES," cash and personal effects.
marchioness
A little, dirty, old-fashioned maid-of-all-work; a title now in regular use, but derived from the remarkable character in the Old Curiosity Shop.
mare's nest
He has found a mare's nest, and is laughing at the eggs; said of one who laughs without any apparent cause.
marine
Or MARINE RECRUIT, an empty bottle. This expression having once been used in the presence of an officer of marines, he was at first inclined to take it as an insult, until some one adroitly appeased his wrath by remarking that no offence could be meant, as all that it could possibly imply was, "one who had done his duty, and was ready to do it again."
marine officer
An empty bottle: marine officers being held useless by the seamen. SEA WIT.
mark
To make one’s MARK is to achieve a success literary, artistic, or otherwise. Men of eminence are said to leave their MARKS on the earth’s surface. An American poet has described this ambitious, albeit somewhat rare, proceeding as leaving "footprints on the sands of time."
market-horse
A horse simply kept in the betting-lists for the purpose of being betted against.
marketeer
A betting man who devotes himself, by means of special information, to the study of favourites, and the diseases incident to that condition of equine life. The MARKETEER is the principal agent in all milking and knocking-out arrangements.
marplot
An officious bungler, who spoils everything he interferes with.
marriage lines
A marriage certificate.—Provincial.
marriage music
The squalling and crying of children.
married
Persons chained or handcuffed together, in order to be conveyed to gaol, or on board the lighters for transportation, are in the cant language said to be married together.
marrow
A mate, a fellow-workman, a pitman who works in a "shift" with another.—Northumberland and Durham.
marrow-bones
The knees; "I’ll bring him down upon his MARROW BONES," i.e., I’ll make him bend his knees as he does to the Virgin Mary. Supposed to be from Mary Bones, an objectionable term used by the first Protestants in reference to the supposed adoration of the Virgin Mary by Catholics.
marrowbones
The knees. To bring any one down on his marrow bones; to make him beg pardon on his knees: some derive this from Mary's bones, i.e. the bones bent in honour of the Virgin Mary; but this seems rather far-fetched. Marrow bones and cleavers; principal instruments in the band of rough music: these are generally performed on by butchers, on marriages, elections, riding skimmington, and other public or joyous occasions.
marry
A very old term of asseveration, originally (in Popish times) a mode of swearing by the Virgin Mary; q.d., by Mary.
martinet
A military term for a strict disciplinarian: from the name of a French general, famous for restoring military discipline to the French army. He first disciplined the French infantry, and regulated their method of encampment: he was killed at the siege of Doesbourg in the year 1672.
martingale
A gambling term, which means the doubling of a stake every time you lose; so that when you win once you win back all that you have lost. So called from the fact that, as in all fair games you must win once, you have a safe hold of fortune. The difficulty is to obtain a bank large enough to do this effectively, or having the bank to find any one who will follow you far enough, in a fair game.
mary ann
The title of the dea ex machinâ evolved from trades-unionism at Sheffield, to the utter destruction of recalcitrant grinders. She is supposed to do all the "blow-ups," steal all the bands, and otherwise terrorize over victims of the union.
marygold
One million sterling. See PLUM.
maskee
Never mind, no consequence.—Anglo-Chinese.
mason's maund
A sham sore above the elbow, to counterfeit a broken arm by a fall from a scaffold.
massacre of the innocents
When the leader of the House of Commons goes through the doleful operation of devoting to extinction a number of useful measures at the end of the session, for want of time to pass them. Vide Times, 20th July, 1859: Mr. C. Foster, on altering the time of the legislative sessions.—Parliamentary Slang.
master of the wardrobe
One who pawns his clothes to purchase liquor.
mate
The term a coster or low person applies to a friend, partner, or companion; "me and my MATE did so and so," is a common phrase with a low Londoner. Originally a sea term.
matey
A labourer in one of Her Majesty’s dockyards. Common elaboration of the word MATE.
matrimonial peace-maker
The sugar-stick, or arbor vitae.
maudlin
Magdalen College, Oxford. This is the old English pronunciation of the word.
maudlin drunk
Crying drunk: perhaps from Mary Magdalene, called Maudlin, who is always painted in tears.
mauled
Extremely drunk, or soundly beaten.
mauley
A fist, that with which one strikes as with a mall.—Pugilistic.
maund
To beg; "MAUNDERING on the fly," begging of people in the streets.—Old Cant. MAUNG, to beg, is a term in use amongst the gipsies, and may also be found in the Hindoo vocabulary. MAUND, however, is pure Anglo-Saxon, from MAND, a basket. Compare BEG, which is derived from BAG—a curious parallel.
maunding
Asking or begging. CANT:
maw
The mouth; "hold your MAW," cease talking.
maw-wallop
A filthy composition, sufficient to provoke vomiting.
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