mace
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To sponge, swindle, or beg, in a polite way: "give it him (a shopkeeper) on the MACE," i.e., obtain goods on credit and never pay for them; also termed "striking the MACE."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “mace” mean?
To sponge, swindle, or beg, in a polite way: "give it him (a shopkeeper) on the MACE," i.e., obtain goods on credit and never pay for them; also termed "striking the MACE."
Is “mace” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.