Men talk only to conceal the mind. (Strauss 1994, p. 1088)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
Browse English 2134
All languages English Tiếng Việt
Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
menagerie
The orchestra of a theatre.—Theatrical.
menavelings
Odd money remaining after the daily accounts are made up at a railway booking-office,—usually divided among the clerks. See OVERS and SHORTS.
mend one's ways
To change one's behavior to become better or more acceptable
mendacem memorem esse oportet
"It is fitting that a liar should be a man of good memory" (Institutes, IV, ii, 91). It occurs in Taverner's translation of Erasmus's Proverbs (1539) — A Iyer ought not to be forgetfull.
mental gymnast
Someone who rationalizes or justifies questionable behavior
mental health
A person's overall emotional and psychological well-being
Mention in Dispatches
British term given to a reference by name in official dispatches to an officer who has done well in battle. An officer so mentioned is entitled to wear a small bronze oak leaf on the left breast or upon the medal ribbon for that particular campaign.
merchant banker
A wanker.
merchant of death
A person or entity that profits from war or violence
Merchant of Venice
The interwoven stories of Shakespeare's comedy (written 1598, published 1600) are drawn from mediaeval
mercurial finger
The little finger, which, if pointed denotes eloquence, if square sound judgment.
Mercury fig
See MERCURY. Fig" leaf. The leaf of the fig tree or the banyan, according to the Bible story (Gen. iii, 7) used by Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness after the Fall. In the days of Victorian prudery tin fig leaves were fitted to statuary in the museums, Crystal Palace, etc.
mercy fuck
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
mercy sake's alive
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
mere mortal
An ordinary person, not a god or superhero
Merino Sheep
A Spanish breed of sheep, very valuable for their wool. The word is the Latin majorinus, and may originally have indicated a specially large breed of sheep, or have been the official designation of the overseer of the pastures.
merk
Alternative spelling of murk (“to murder”).
merkin
Counterfeit hair for women's privy parts. See BAILEY'S DICT.
merkin
A term usually applied to a woman’s privities. Originally false hair for those parts.
merlin chair
An invalid's chair, which can be propelled by the hands of the occupant. So called from the inventor, J. J. Merlin (d. 1803).
mermaid's glove
The largest of the British sponges (Halichondria palmatd), so called because its branches resemble fingers.
mermaid's purses
The horny cases of the eggs of the ray, skate, or shark, frequently cast up by the waves on the sea-beach.
Merops' Son
One who thinks he can set the world to rights, but can't. Agitators, demo- gogues, and Bolsheviks, are sons of Merops. The allusion is to Phaeton, son of Merops, who thought himself able to drive the car of Phoebus, but, m the attempt, nearly set the world on fire.
Merry Andrew
A person who entertains others, especially by being foolish or ridiculous
Merry Andrew
A buffoon, jester, or atten- dant on a quack doctor at fairs. Said by Thomas Hearne( 1678- 1735) — with no evidence — to derive from Andrew Boorde (c. 1490- 1549), physician to Henry VIII, who to his vast learning added great eccentricity. Prior has a poem on "Merry Andrew." Andrew is a common name in old plays for a manservant, as Abigail is for a waiting-woman.
merry dance
to cause someone a lot of trouble or confusion
Merry Dancers
The northern lights, so called from their undulatory motion. The French also call them chevres dansantes (dancing goats).
merry dun of dover
A large ship figuring in sailors’ yarns. She was so large that when passing through the Straits of Dover her flying jib-boom knocked down Calais steeple; while, at the same time, the fly of her ensign swept a flock of sheep off Dover cliffs. She was so lofty that a boy who attempted to go to her mast-head found himself a grey old man when he reached the deck again. This yarn is founded on a story in the Scandinavian mythology.
Merry Dun of Dover
In Scandinavian folk- tale, an enormous ship which knocked down Calais steeple in passing through the Straits of Dover, while the pennant swept a flock of sheep off Dover cliffs into the sea. The masts were so lofty that a boy who ascended them would grow grey before he could reach deck again.
merry men
A group of cheerful and lively companions
Merry Men of Mey
An expanse of broken water which boils like a cauldron in the southern side of the Stroma channel, in the Pentland Firth.
Merry Monday
An old name for the day before Shrove Tuesday.
merry-go-down
strong ale
Merton College
Founded by Walter de Merton (d. 1277), Bishop of Rochester, and Lord High Chancellor in 1264. He was, through this foundation, the originator of the collegiate system still maintained in the older English Universities.
mesopotamia
A name given to Eaton Square and neighbourhood when first built. This part was also called Cubitopolis.—Fashionable slang.
mess
To interfere unduly. Costermongers refer to police supervision as MESSING. Among sailors, a dead man is said to have lost the number of his MESS.
mess john
A Scotch presbyterian teacher or parson.
mess of pottage
Something of value sold or given away for a small or insignificant price
mess up
to make a mistake or cause something to go wrong
messmate
One who eats at the same mess, companion or comrade.
metallician
A racing bookmaker. Bookmakers use metallic books and pencils.
meth
Marijuana.
mettle
The semen. To fetch mettle; the act of self pollution. Mettle is also figuratively used for courage.
mew up
to imprison
mexican breakfast
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
mezz
Marijuana.
Mflfcy Way
A great circle of stars entirely surrounding the heavens, apparently so crowded together that they look to the naked eye like a "way" or stream of faint "milky" light. See GALAXY.
mic drop
to deliberately end a conversation or performance in a dramatic way
Micah Rood's Apples
Apples with a spot of red in the heart. The story is that Micah Rood was a prosperous farmer at Franklin, Pa. In 1693 a pedlar with jewellery called at his house, and next day was found murdered under an apple-tree in Rood's orchard. The crime was never brought home to the farmer, but next autumn all the apples of the fatal tree bore inside a red blood-spot, called "Micah Rood's Curse," and the farmer died soon afterwards.
michael
Hip, Michael, your head's on fire. See HYP.
Michael Angelo
The celebrated painter, born 1474, died 1564, his full name was Michelangelo Buonarroti.
mickey
A young bull, especially one which is unbranded and running wild; a bullock.
Mickleton Jury
A corruption of mickle- tourn (magnus turnus), i.e. the jury of court leets, which were visited at Easter and Michael- mas by the county sheriffs in their tourns. In Anglo-Saxon times the great council of the kings was known as the Micklemoot (great assembly).
micro$oft
Microsoft.
micro's crown
The tale is, that Hiero delivered a certain weight of gold to a smith to be made into a votive crown, but, suspecting that the gold had been alloyed with an inferior metal, asked Archimedes to test it. The philosopher did not know how to proceed, but in stepping into his bath, which was quite full, observed that some of the water ran over.
microsloth
Microsoft.
microsuck
Microsoft.
Mid-Lent Sunday
The fourth Sunday in Lent. It is called dominica refectionis (Refection Sunday), because the first lesson is the banquet given by Joseph to his brethren, and the gospel of the day is the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. It is the day on which simnel cakes (q.v.) are eaten, and it is also called Mothering Sunday (#.v.).
Midas touch
Ability to achieve great success or make money effortlessly
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.