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Mab, a Slattern. Mab’d up, Drest carelessly, like a Slattern, of such a one it is said. Her Cloths fit on her, like a Saddle on a Sow’s Back. Queen Mab, Queen of the Fairies.
Mackarel, c. a Bawd.
Mackarel-back, a very tall, lank Person.
Machiavilian, one wickedly or knavishly Politic.
Machines, Vessels full of Carcasses and Bombs, under Shelter or Covert of the Smokers, to come close up under Walls, Forts, Fortifications, &c. being fixt to Blow up the same. Also Engines or Instruments of divers Arts, and Movements upon the Stage.
Madam Van, c. a Whore, The Cull has been with Madam Van, c. the Fellow has enjoyed such a one.
Mad-cap, a frolicksom Person.
Made, c. Stolen. I Made this Knife at a beat, c. I Stole it cleaverly.
Mad Tom, alias of Bedlam, the Eighteenth Rank of Canters.
Madge-howlet, an Owl.
Maggot, a whimsical Fellow, full of strange Fancies and Caprichio’s, Maggotty, Freakish.
Maiden-sessions, when none are Hang’d.
Mailes, the Breast-Feathers of a Hawk.
Main, great, excellent, choice, rare; also the Sea. Maingood, very good. With Might and Main, Tooth and Nail.
Make, c. a half Penny.
Make-bait, a Trouble-House, or Mischief-maker, a stirrer of Strife, and maker of Debate, a Boute feu, or Incendiary.
Male-contents, Disaffected to the State, out of Humor with the Government.
Malkin or Maukin, a Scare-crow, Drest and Set up to fright the Birds. Also a Scovel (of old Clouts) to cleanse the Oven: Hence Malkin-trash, for one in a rueful Dress, enough to Fright one. There are more Maids than Malkins, Mawks, the same abbreaviated. Mawkish, a Wallowish, ill Tast.
Malmesey-nose, a jolly, red Nose.
Man o’ th’ Town, a Lew’d Spark, or very Debaushe.
Manning, a Hawk, making him endure Company.
Mannikin, a Dwarf, or diminutive Fellow.
Mantles, when Drink is brisk and smiles; also when a Hawk stretcheth one of her Wings after her Leggs, and so the other.
Margery-prater, c. a Hen.
Marinated, c. Transported into some forreign Plantation; also Fish Soused.
Marriage-music, Childrens Cries.
Marks, the Footing of an Otter.
Marrel, a Bird about the bigness of a Knot, but not good Meat.
Martern, a Wild Cat, the second Year, called a Cub, the first. A Martern Treeth, Lodgeth; Tree the Martern, Dislodge him.
Masons mawn’d, c. a Sham sore above the Elbow, to counterfeit a broken Arm, by a Fail from a Scaffold, expos’d by subtil Beggers, to move Compassion, and get Money.
Masons-Word, who ever has it, shall never want, there being a Bank at a certain Lodge in Scotland for their Relief. Tis communicated with a strict Oath, and much Ceremony, (too tedious to insert) and if it be sent to any of the Society, he must, (nay will) come immediately, tho’ very Busy, or at great Distance.
Match or Make, the Copulation of Woolves.
Match makers, a better sort of Procurers of Wives for Men, or Husbands for Women, Maiden-head-jobbers, Virginity Sellers, Brokers, &c.
Maul’d, swingingly Drunk, or soundly Beat.
Maunders, c. Beggers.
Maunding, c. to Beg, Begging.
Maundring-broth, Scolding.
Mawdlin, weepingly Drunk, as we say the Tears of the Tankard. What are you Mawdlin you Rake? are ye’ neither Drunk, nor Sober?
May-games, Frolicks Plaies, Tricks, Pastimes, &c. Do you make a May-game of me? do you Abuse or Expose me?
Mead, a pleasant Summer Drink, made of Water and Honey, Boyled, and Bottled fine, in great vogue in Moscovy, where ’tis said the best in the World is made.
Meadites, a Faction of Quakers, that follow most, and are in the Interest of Mead.
Meal-mouth, a sly, sheepish Dun, or Sollicitor for Money.
Measure, the Distance of Duellers. To break Measure, to be out of the Adversaries reach.
Mechanic, a Tradesman; also a mean, inconsiderable, contemptible Fellow.
Meggs, c. Guineas. We fork’d the rum Cull’s Meggs to the tune of Fifty, c. We Pickt the Gentleman’s Pocket of full Fourty Guineas.
Mellow, a’most Drunk; also smooth, soft Drink.
Melt, c. to spend Money. Will you Melt a Bord? c. Will you spend your Shilling? The Cull Melted a couple of Decusses upon us, c. the Gentleman spent ten Shillings upon us.
Member-mug, a Chamber-pot.
Mercury, Wit; also Quick-silver, and a Courant or News-Letter.
Mercurial, Witty; also one Born under ☿, i. e. when that Planet is Lord of the Horoscope or Ascendant at Birth.
Mercury Women, Wholesale News-sellers, who Retail to the Hawkers.
Metheglin, a strong Drink, made of new Wort and Honey.
Mew, when Deer cast their Horns; also the Place where the Hawk is set down, during the time she raiseth her Feathers.
Meyny, the Folks, or Family-Servants. Hence Menial-Servant, yet in use, for a Domestic or Family-Servant.
Mifty, apt to take Pet, or be out of Humor.
Mill-clapper, a (Woman’s) Tongue. As Safe as a Thief in a Mill, a waggish Periphrasis for a Miller, who is a Thief by his Trade.
Milch-kine, a Term us’d by Goalers, when their Prisoners will bleed freely to have some Favor, or be at large.
Mill, c. to Steal, Rob, or Kill.
Mill-a-ken, c. to Rob a House, Milling the Gig with a Betty, c. Breaking open the Door with an Iron-Crow. Milling the Glaze, c. Breaking open the Window. Mill them, c. Kill them.
Miller, c. a Killer or Murderer.
Mill-a-crackmans, c. to break a Hedge.
Mill-a-bleating-cheat, c. to kill a Sheep.
Mill a-grunter, c. to Kill a Pig.
Mil-ken, c. a House-breaker. Mill the Gig with a Dub, c. to open the Door with a Pick-lock or false Key.
Miller’s-Thumb, or Bull-head, a Fish with a broad Head, and wide Mouth, two Finns near his Eyes, and as many under his Belly, and on his Back; and one below the Vent, his Tayl round, and his Body cover’d with Whitish, Blackish and Brownish Spotts.
Mince the Matter, to tell it Sparingly or by Halves.
Miniature, Painting in little.
Minks, a proud Flirt.
Mint, c. Gold; also a late Sanctuary (in Sowthwark) for such as broke either out of Necessity, or in Design to bring their Creditors the more easily to a Composition. Hence Minters, the Inhabitants.
Miquelets, Mountaneers, (in Spain) or Spanish Rapparies.
Miscreant, a lewd, wicked Fellow.
Mish, c. a Shirt or Smock.
Mish-topper, c. a Coat or Petticoat.
Miskin, a Dunghil or Lay-stall.
Miss, a Whore of Quality; also a little Girl.
Moabites, Serjeants, Bailiffs and their Crew.
| Mob, | } | the Vulgar, or Rabble. |
| Mobile, | } | |
| Mobility, | } |
Mock-song, that Ridicules another Song, in the same Terms and to the same Tune. A Mock-Romance, that ridicules other Romances, as Don Quixot. A Mock-Play, that exposes other Playes, as the Rehearsal. A Mock-holy-day. To Mock, or mimick another.
Moggy, in Scotch, as Peg in English, for Margaret.
Moil, to Drudge or Labour Hard. To Moil and Toil, to Slave at it. A Moiling Fellow, a Drudge or great Pains-taker.
Molinet, a Chocolate Stick, or little Mill.
Mongrel, c. a Hanger on among the Cheats, a Spunger. Of a Mongrel race or Breed, a Curr or Man of a base, ungenerous Breed.
Mood, Humor. In a merry Mood, or good Humor; in an ill Mood, or out of Humor. Moody, Humorous.
Moon-curser, c. a Link-boy, or one that under Colour of lighting Men, Robs them or leads them to a gang of Rogues, that will do it for him.
Moon-men, c. Gipsies.
Moon-blind, a sort of Horses, weak-sighted.
Moppet, a pretty Moppet, a very pretty little Baby.
Mopsie, a Dowdy, or Homely Woman.
Mop eied, one that can’t see well, by living too long a Maid.
Mop’d, Maz’d.
Mopus, c. a half Penny or Farthing. A meer Mopus grown, become dispirited, dull and Stupid.
Morglag, a Watch-man’s brown Bill; as Glaives, are Bills or Swords.
Morisco, a Morris or Morrice-dance, being belike some Remains of a Moorish Custom with us, as the Juego de Toros, or Feast of Bulls is, in Spain.
Mort, or Death, is Blown at the Death of the Deer.
Morts, c. Yeomen’s Daughters; also a Wife, Woman, or Wench.
Moss-Troopers, so called from the Mosses, wast Lands in Lancashire, as the Bog-Trotters in Ireland, are from the Boggs there.
Mother, a Bawd.
Mother-midnight, a Midwife (often a Bawd.)
Mouchets, Patches for Ladies Faces.
Moveables, c. Rings, Watches, Swords, and such Toies of value. As we bit all the Cull’s Cole and Moveables, c. we Won all the Man’s Money, Rings, Watches, &c. Very Moving, prevailing, powerful, perswading.
Mountings, a Soldier’s Arms and Cloths.
Mouse-trap. The Parson’s Mouse-trap, Marriage. He watcht me, as a Cat does a Mouse, i. e. narrowly. A Man or a Mouse, a Prince or a Peasant. A Mouse in the Pot is better than no Flesh, or something has some Savour. ’Tis pitty to fling Water on a Drown’d Mouse, or to depress the Miserable. A sorry Mouse that has but one Hole, or a poor Creature that has but one Shift.
Mouth, a noisy Fellow. A Mouthing Fellow, a Bawling or Scolding Person. He never Speaks, but his Mouth opens. Mouth half Cockt, gaping and staring at every thing they see.
Mower, c. a Cow.
Mow-beater, c. a Drover.
Muck, Money, Wealth; also Dung to manure Land.
Muckworm, a covetous Wretch.
Muckinder, a Child’s Handkerchief tied by the side.
Muddled, half Drunk. To Muddle on, tho’ so, yet to Drink on.
Muff, c. a Woman’s Secrets. To the well wearing of your Muff Mort, c. to the happy Consummation of your Marriage Madam, a Health.
Muffting-cheat, c. a Napkin.
Muggletonians, the Sect or Disciples of Lodowick Muggleton.
Mulligrubs or Mumps, a Counterfeit Fit of the Sullens.
Mum-for-that, not a Word of the Pudding.
Mumble, to Mutter or Speak between the Teeth.
Mum-chance, one that sits mute. He looks like Mum-chance that was Hang’d for saying of nothing.
Mum-glass, the Monument, erected at the City-charge, in Memory of the dreadful Fire 1666, which consum’d the greatest Part of it.
Mumpers, c. Gentile-Beggers, who will not accept of Victuals, but Money or Cloths.
Mumpers-Hall, c. several Ale-houses in and about this City and Suburbs, in Allies, and By-places, much used by them, and resorted to in the Evening, where they will be very Merry, Drunk, and Frolicksom.
Mun-corn, half Wheat, half Rye.
Muns, c. the Face. Toute his Mans, c. note his Phis, or mark his Face well.
Musick. It makes ill Musick, of any unwelcom or unpleasing News. Touch that String most which makes best Musick, or that cannot be Harped upon too often that pleases. The Musick’s paid, c. the Watch-word among High-way-men, to let the Company they were to Rob, alone, in return to some Courtsey from some Gentleman among them.
Must, new Wine, or Wine on the Lea. After Beef, Mustard of a thing preposterous, or out of Place; as we say, the Cart before the Horse.
Mute, when Hounds or Beagles run long without opening, or making any Cry; also a certain dumb Executioner among the Turks.
Muting, the Excrements of a Hern or Hawk.
Mutter, to Speak inwardly and between the Teeth.
Mutton-monger, a Lover of Women; also a Sheep-stealer.
Mutton-in-long-coats, Women. A Leg of Mutton in a Silk-Stocking, a Woman’s Leg.
Muzzle, c. a Beard, (usually) long and nasty.
Myrmidons, c. the Constable’s Attendants, or those whom he commands (in the King’s Name) to Aid and assist him; also the Watch-men.