Merry Andrew
A person who entertains others, especially by being foolish or ridiculous
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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
midder
A midwife.
Middle English proverbs
A collection of sayings from medieval England
middle leg
The penis.
middle of nowhere
A remote or isolated location
middle of the road
Moderate and compromising, avoiding extremes
middleton
(Thomas) and ~Decker’s~ (Thomas) Roaring Girl; or Moll Cut Purse, 4to. 1611.
middy
Abbreviation of midshipman.—Naval.
midshipman's watch and chain
A sheep's heart and pluck.
midsummer ale
Festivities which used to take place in rural districts at this season. Here Ale has the same extended meaning as in "Church-ale'* (q.v.).
midsummer madness
Olivia says to Mal- volio, "Why, this is very midsummer madness" (Twelfth Night, m, 4). The reference is to the rabies of dogs, which was supposed to be brought on by midsummer heat. People who were a bit inclined to be mad used to be said to have but a mile to midsummer.
midsummer men
Orpine or Live-long, a plant of the Sedum tribe; so called because it used to be set in pots or shells on midsummer eve, and hung up in the house to tell damsels whether their sweethearts were true or not. If the leaves bent to the right, it was a sign of fidelity; if to the left, the "true-love's heart was cold and faithless.
midsummer moon
" 'Tis midsummer moon with you"; you are stark mad. Madness was supposed to be affected by the moon, and to be aggravated by summer heat; so it naturally follows that the full moon at midsummer is the time when madness would be most outrageous.
midwife of men's thoughts
So Socrates termed himself; and, as Mr. Grote observes, "No other man ever struck out of others so many sparks to set light to original thought.
might as well
should do something since it's inevitable or just as good as another option
might is right
Power and strength are the ultimate authority
might is right. (14th century)
Those with more power or strength will dominate or prevail.
might makes right
Those with more power or strength will dominate or prevail
mighty oaks from little acorns grow
Great things can develop from small beginnings
mike
A minute.
mike
An Irish hodman, or general labourer.
mild
Second-rate, inferior. See DRAW IT MILD. Also feeble, inefficient, as "a MILD attempt." Weak young men who keep bulldogs, and dress in a "loud" stable style, from a belief that it is very becoming, are sometimes called "MILD bloaters."
mile a minute
speaking very quickly
miles per hour
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
Milesian Fables
A Greek collec- tion of witty but obscene short stories by Antonius Diogenes, and compiled by Aristi- des, of Miletus (2nd cent. B.C.), whence the name. They were translated into Latin by Sidenna about the time of the civil wars of Marius and Sylla, and were greedily read by the luxurious Sybarites, but are no longer extant. Similar stories however, are still sometimes called Milesian Tales.