Merry A-se christian. A whore.
Merry-begotten. A bastard.
Man of the world. A knowing man.
Mess John. A Scotch presbyterian teacher or parson.
Messmate. One who eats at the same mess,
companion or
comrade.
Mettle. The semen. To fetch mettle;
the act of self pollution.
Mettle is also figuratively used for courage.
Mettlesome. Bold, courageous.
Michael. Hip, Michael, your head’s on fire. See HYP.
MIDSHIPMAN’S watch and chain.
A sheep’s heart and
pluck.
Milch cow. One who is easily tricked
out of his property;
a term used by gaolers, for prisoners
who have money and
bleed freely.
Milk and water. Both ends of the busk.
To milk the pigeon. To endeavour at impossibilities.
Milling cove. A boxer. How the
milling cove served
the cull out; how the boxer beat the fellow.
Mill. A chisel.
To mill. To rob; also to break, beat out,
or kill. I’ll
mill your glaze; I’ll beat out your
eye. To mill a bleating
cheat; to kill a sheep. To mill a
ken; to rob a house.
To mill doll; to beat hemp in bridewell.
Cant.
Mill lay. To force open the doors of
houses in order to
rob them.
Miller. A murderer.
Mine A-se on A bandbox. An
answer to the offer of any
thing inadequate to the purpose for which
it is wanted, just
as a bandbox would be if used for a seat.
Mine uncle’s. A pawnbroker’s
shop; also a necessary
house. Carried to my uncle’s;
pawned. New-married
men are also said to go to their uncle’s,
when they leave
their wives soon after the honey moon.
Minikin. A little man or woman: also
the smallest sort
of pin.
Minor clergy. Young chimney sweepers.
Mint. Gold. A mint of money; common
phrase for a
large sum.
Mischief. A man loaded with mischief, i.e.
a man with
his wife on his back.
Mish. A shirt, smock, or sheet. Cant.
Mish Topper. A coat, or petticoat.
Miss. A miss or kept mistress; a harlot.
Miss Laycock. The monosyllable.
Mite. A nick name for a cheesemonger:
from the small
insect of that name found in cheese.
MIX metal. A silversmith.
MOABITES. Bailiffs, or Philistines.
Mob; or Mab. A wench, or harlot.
Mobility. The mob: a sort of opposite to nobility.


