Phrases and Names Their Origins and Meanings : 'M' (영어 이름과 표현의 의미와 유래)

 

Ma’am. An Americanism for mother. See “Madam.”

Ma’am School. The American term for a young ladies’ seminary, or an infants’ school kept by a woman.

Macadamised Road. This system of road-making by means of broken stones pressed down by a heavy roller was introduced by John Loudon Macadam, a Scotsman, appointed Surveyor of Public Roads in 1827.

Macaroni. From the Italian macare, to crush, to bruise, through Macarone, a mixture, a medley. This confection originally consisted of cheese and bread paste squeezed into balls.

Macaronies. Fashionable dandies first heard of in London after the accession of George III. Their leaders hailed from France and Italy, where Macaroni Clubs abounded. These clubs arose out of Dilettante Societies, formed for the cultivation of what was styled Macaronic Verse, after a poetical rhapsody entitled “Liber Macaronicorum,” a jumble of Latin and other languages published by a monk of Mantua in 1520. Subsequently everything in dress or taste received the name of Macaroni.

Macaroon. A biscuit the name of which has the same etymology as “Macaroni.”

Macassar Oil. So called because it was first exported from Macassar, the Dutch capital of Celebes Island.

Macclesfield Street. After the Earl of Macclesfield, the landlord of the estate when it was laid out in 1697.

Macedonians. A fourth century sect of Christians founded by Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople.

Machinaw. A heavy blanket worn by Indians, and also nowadays in the western states used as a travelling rug and bed pallet. The term is derived from Machinac (pronounced Machinaw), the chief trading station with the Indians formerly. Western settlers also describe an overcoat as a Machinaw.

Machine. A bicycle is called a machine because it is a more or less complicated piece of mechanism made up of many parts. In the United States the term machine is applied both to a locomotive and a fire engine.

Mackenzie River. After Alexander Mackenzie, by whom it was first navigated in 1789.

Mackerel. From the Danish mackreel, “spots.”

Mackintosh. After the Scotsman who invented water-proofing material for over-garments.

Macklin Street. After Charles Macklin, the celebrated actor of Drury Lane Theatre. His name was really Maclaughlin shortened into Macklin.

Macmillanites. An offshoot of the Presbyterians under John Macmillan; also styled the “Reformed Presbytery.”

Madagascar. A corruption of the native name Malagasay, the island of the Malagese or Malays.

Madam. In New England the term applied to the deceased wife of a person of local distinction, such as the parson, doctor, etc. In the southern states it expresses the mistress or master’s wife universally among the Negroes. Elsewhere it is either Madam or Ma’am for a mother.

Mad Cavalier. Prince Rupert, so called on account of his rash courage and lack of self-control.

Mad Dog. A skull cap, from the old idea that keeping the head impervious to air was a remedy against the bite of a dog.

Mad Poet. Nathaniel Lee, who wrote some of his finest pieces while confined during four years at Bethlehem Hospital.

Mad as a Hatter. A corruption of “Mad as an atter.” Atter expressed the Saxon for a viper or adder. The word “Mad” was anciently used in the sense of venomous; hence this expression really meant “venomous as a viper.”

Mad as a March Hare. Being their rutting season, hares are very wild in March.

Made a bad Break. An Americanism for having made a silly slip of the tongue, a sad mistake, or a great blunder. The expression is, of course, derived from a game of billiards.

Made his Pile. Although a Californian phrase for having amassed a fortune, this originated at the gaming-tables throughout the States generally.

Madeira. Expresses the Portuguese for “timber.” This island was at the time of its discovery covered with forests. Also the name of a rich wine imported therefrom.

Madeleine. The church at Paris dedicated to Mary Magdalen or Mary of Magdala.

Maddox Street. After the name of the builder upon the land in 1720.

Madras. From the Arabic Madrasa, “university.” Originally Madrasa Pattan, the name expressed “University town.” Pattan is Sanscrit for town.

Madrid. In the tenth century this was simply a Moorish fortified outpost of Toledo, as expressed by its Arabic name, Majerit.

Maelstrom. Expresses the Norwegian for an eddy or whirlpool; literally “whirling stream.”

Maffiking. A word used to denote the madness which may seize upon an entire community on an occasion of great public rejoicing, as happened when news of the relief of Mafeking, during the South African War, reached England. Staid citizens--bankers, stockbrokers, and others--assembled in front of the Mansion House, cheering wildly, and losing all control over themselves to such a degree that they threw their hats high in the air. For the remainder of that day and far into the night all London went mad with joy.

Magazine. From the Arabic Makhzan, a depository for stores. In a literary sense this originally expressed a periodical whose contents were made up of elegant extracts from the best authors.

Magdalen Hospital. The old name of a penitentiary for fallen women, so called after Mary Magdalen. The French form of this name is Madeleine.

Magdalen Smith. The famous Dutch portrait painter, Gaspar Smitz, is usually known by this name on account of his many “Magdalens,” in which he excelled.

Magdeburg. German for “town on the plain.”

Magenta. This colour was so called because first produced after the battle of Magenta in 1859.

Magic City of the South. Birmingham in the state of Alabama. Since its foundation by the Elyton Land Company in 1871 it has bidden fair to rival Pittsburg as the Birmingham of America.

Magnolia. In honour of the eminent French botanist, Pierre Magnol.

Mahala. The Californian term for an Indian squaw, derived from the Spanish muger (pronounced muher), a woman.

Mahatma. A Hindoo term for a Buddhist gifted with what appear to be supernatural powers, as the result of the very highest intellectual development.

Mahogany. A vulgar term very frequently heard in the Midland counties for a man’s wife. This arose from the fact that the wood of the Mahogany-tree (West Indian Mahogan, but botanically Swietenia Mahogani) was for many years at first used exclusively for the manufacture of domestic dining-tables; hence a man would say: “I’ll discuss it with my wife over the Mahogany.” Eventually the phrase was corrupted into “I’ll talk to the Mahogany about it,” and so the term came to denote the man’s wife.

Mahrattas. The Hindoo term for “outcasts.” Although devout worshippers of Buddha, this powerful Hindoo family does not recognise that fine distinction of caste which obtains elsewhere.

Maida Vale. After the victory of Maida, 4th July 1806.

Maiden. An ancient instrument of capital punishment made in the form of a woman, the front of which opened like a door, and, the victim being imprisoned, sharp steel spikes pierced his body on every side. This name was also given to an early species of guillotine in Scotland. To be executed by its means was to “Kiss the Maiden,” because she clasped him in a death embrace.

Maidenland. A Virginian term for the land which comes to a man by marriage on his wife’s side, and which passes from him at her decease.

Maiden Assize. So called when there are no charges for the jury, which in the event of conviction merit capital punishment or the death sentence. On such an occasion the sheriffs present a pair of white gloves to the judges as the emblems of innocence.

Maiden Lane. Anciently skirting the garden of the Convent. This thoroughfare had at its western corner a statue of “Our Lady” let into the wall.

Maid Marian. So far from having any connection with Robin Hood and his merry men in Sherwood Forest, this term is derived from the “Morris Dance,” in which five men and a boy took part. On account of his antics and the ill-fitting morione, or helmet, that this boy wore, he came to be styled as the “Mad Morion,” of which Maid Marian was an easy corruption.

Maid of Orleans. Joan of Arc, who led her countrymen against the English, and effected the capture of the city of Orleans, 29th April 1429.

Maid of Saragossa. Augustina Zaragossa, who distinguished herself in the heroic defence of the city of Saragossa during its eight months’ siege by the French in 1808-9.

Maidstone. From the Anglo-Saxon Medwægeston, the town on the Medwæge, or Medway, which river runs through the middle of the county of Kent.

Mail. The American term for “post”--i.e. a letter. This word is, of course, derived from the mail bag in which letters are transmitted.

Mail Stage. The American form of “Stage-coach.”

Maine. The name given to the French settlement in the New World after the city so called in the Mother Country. Maine, from the Celtic man, expresses a district or region.

Majorca. Expresses the Latin for Greater, relative to the “Balearic Islands.”

Make Bricks without Straw. To make something without the needful materials. In the East bricks are made out of straw and mud dried in the sun. The expression comes from the burdens laid upon the Israelites in Egypt as related in Exodus v.: “Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.”

Make Money out of a Shoe-string. An Americanism for a capacity to make money out of nothing--that is, without working capital.

Make the Raise. An Americanism for to “raise the loan.”

Make the Sneak. An Americanism for to sneak or run away.

Make Tracks. Originally a Far West expression when a squatter deserted his claim and set out to explore an unknown region.

Make Trade hum. An Americanism for whipping up business by advertising or extraordinary energy.

Malaga. From the Phœnician malaca, salt. The wine of the same name is imported from this city of Spain.

Malmsey. Wine from Malvasia, an island in the Mediterranean historically famous for its vineyards.

Malta. From the Phœnician Melita, “a place of refuge.”

Mamelukes. From the Arabic mamluc, a slave. The original standing army of Egypt, composed of boy slaves purchased by the Sultan from the Tartar Khan in the Caucasus in the thirteenth century.

Mamma. Latin for “breast”; hence all animals that are suckled by the mother belong to the class of “Mammals.”

Mammon. From the Syriac mamona, “riches.”

Manchester. Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for a common on the site of a Roman camp. The Friesic man in this sense enters into many place names also on the Continent.

Manchester Square. After the Duke of Manchester, the owner of the estate.

Manchuria. The territory of the Manchus, the founders of the present ruling dynasty of China.

Mandarin. Although this title is borne by officers of every grade in China the word is really Portuguese, mandar, to command. It was applied by the early settlers of Macao to the Chinese officials of that colony, and has remained a European designation for a Chinaman of rank ever since.

Manhattan. From the Indian munnohatan, “the town on the island.”

Manicure. The American mode of “Manicurist,” which, from the Latin manus, hand, literally means one who undertakes the care of the finger-nails.

Manitoba. After Manitou, the “Great Spirit” of the Alonquin Indians. This name is pronounced Manitobar not Manitobar.

Man in the Street. A metaphorical expression for the average man, with no more than a superficial knowledge of matters in general. Not belonging to a club, he has small means of adding to his own store of knowledge by daily communion with those better informed than himself.

Manlius Torquatus. The Roman Consul Manlius received his surname “Torquatus” through having wrested the golden torque or collar from his adversary on the field of war.

Mannheim. German for “the home of men.” Until the Elector Palatine Frederick IV. built a castle here, and a town grew up around it in the seventeenth century, this was a village of refugees from religious persecution in the Netherlands.

Man of Kent. A native of the county of Kent east of the Medway.

Man of Ross. The name given by Pope to John Kyrle of Ross, Herefordshire. See “Kyrle Society.”

Man of Straw. One who, having nothing to lose, descends to mean practices for gain, well knowing that his victims rarely go to the expense of entering a prosecution against him, since they cannot obtain damages. This term was derived from the hangers-on at the Westminster Law Courts, who were ready to swear anything at the instruction of counsel for a bribe. They were known by displaying a wisp of straw in their shoes. If another witness was required while a case was being heard, counsel generally sent out to look for “a pair of straw shoes.”

Man-of-War. This term is a popular abbreviation of man-of-war ship--i.e. the floating home of a man-of-war’s-man. Our national prestige has from time immemorial been dependent on the supremacy of the seas, therefore an English sailor, more than a soldier, was regarded by our ancestors as a fighting man. Since the introduction of ironclads, however, it has become the custom to speak of a floating battery as a war vessel or battleship, and a sailor as a bluejacket.

Mansard Roof. After its inventor, François Mansard, the French architect of the seventeenth century.

Mansfield Street. From the town mansion of the Earls of Mansfield, which stood here.

Mansion House. Expresses the “house of houses,” the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London, the representative in the city of the King, whose flag proudly waves in the breeze from the roof.

Mantua. A lady’s cloak or mantle, originally introduced from the Italian city of this name.

Maoris. The aborigines of New Zealand. In the native tongue this means “indigenous.”

Maraboo Feathers. Those plucked from the underside of the wings of the stork of the same name. The stork being held sacred by the Mohammedans, as it was by the ancient Egyptians, its name has the same meaning as that of the “Marabuts.”

Marabuts. The priestly order of the Arabs in North Africa; those who attend the mosques and call the people to prayers. Their name is derived from the Arabic Marabath, sacred or devoted to God.

Maraschino. A liqueur distilled from delicate and finely flavoured cherries, called Marazques, cultivated at Zara in Dalmatia.

March. In honour of Mars, the Roman god of war.

Marconigram. A wireless telegram, so called after Marconi, the inventor of the system.

Margate. From the Anglo-Saxon Mære, the sea; expresses the road or entrance to the Thames estuary from the sea. See “Gate.”

Margaret Street. After Lady Margaret Cavendish, wife of the second Duke of Portland, landlord of the estate.

Marigold. This, golden flower, indigenous to Mexico, was dedicated by the Spaniards to the Virgin. What are called “Marigold Windows,” having these flowers represented on them, appear in Lady Chapels.

Marine Store Dealer. The legal description of what is now a rag and bone merchant in a small way, because at one time old ships’ iron and cables were not allowed to be disposed of in any other manner save to such a registered dealer.

Market Street. The site of an ancient market on which at a later period the annual May Fair was held. This district is now one of the most fashionable in the West End of London.

Mark Lane. A corruption of “Mart Lane,” in which an ancient annual fair or mart of Flemish merchants was held.

Mark Twain. The literary pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, reminiscent of his early life as a pilot on a Mississippi steamboat. “Mark Twain” in nautical phraseology means “mark two fathoms of water.”

Marlborough House. This, the residence of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, was built by Sir Christopher Wren for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, in 1709 at a total cost of a million of money.

Marlborough Road. This, like the square of the same name off the Fulham Road, was so called after the “Duke of Marlborough” at one end of it. At Peckham, after the one-time residence of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, before he removed to Pall Mall.

Maroons. Revolted Negroes in South America and the West Indies. The term was derived from the Morony River, between Dutch and French Guiana, where great numbers of these fugitives found a place of safety.

Marquee. Originally the tent of a marchioness.

Marquis. From the Italian and French Marchese, pursuant to the root mark, a boundary. Anciently expressive of an officer who had the guardianship of the marches or boundaries of a duchy. At a later period the owner of a slice of land bestowed upon him out of a duchy. Nowadays the title next below that of duke.

Marquis of Granby. A tavern sign in honour of John Manners, the British general during the Seven Years’ War in Germany, a soldier beloved by his men and esteemed by his country.

Marry. A perverted form of the oath “By Mary” in days when people were wont to swear by the Virgin.

Marsala. A light wine exported from Marsala in Sicily. This name was bestowed upon the town by the Arabs, Marsa Alla, “Port of God,” on account of its delightful situation.

Marseillaise. This was the composition of Rouget de Lisle, an artillery officer stationed with the French garrison at Strasburg. First sung at a banquet given by the mayor of that city, it became immensely popular; and when in 1792 the Marseilles volunteers were summoned to Paris, they sang it as they approached and entered the capital. The words and music at once struck the popular ear, so that “La Marseillaise” became the national war song.

Marshal. From the Teutonic mare, horse, and schalk, servant. This term, through the French maréchal, originally signified the groom of the horse; now it means in a civil sense the master of the horse and head of the ceremonies in devising pageants and processions. The Duke of Norfolk, as Earl Marshal of England, takes precedence over all other noblemen.

Marshal Forward. General Blucher, on account of his eagerness to make a dash in the campaign which terminated in the victory of Waterloo.

Marshalsea. The old Debtors’ Prison in Southwark, so called because the Court of the Knight Marshal, for the settlement of disputes between members of the Royal Household, was held within its walls. This edifice was demolished in 1842.

Marsham Street. From the ground landlord, Charles Marsham, Earl of Romney.

Martel. The surname of Charles, the son of Pepin d’Heristal, who signalised himself in battle against the Saracens when, according to the chronicler, “he knocked down the foe and crushed them between his axe, as a martel or hammer crushes what it strikes.” This exploit occurred during the attempted Saracenic invasion of France A.D. 732.

Martello Tower. Originally built near the sea as a watch-tower for protection of merchandise against pirates. The term arose from the custom of the sentry striking a bell with a martel, or hammer, as often as he discerned a pirate ship out at sea.

Martin. The common wall-swallow, corrupted from its Latin name Murten, from murus, a wall.

Martinet. From the name of a strict officer under Louis XIV. of France; hence the phrase “a regular martinet.”

Martin’s Lane. From St Martin’s Church in this lane.

Martlemas. A corruption of “Martinmas,” or Feast of St Martin, 4th November, the usual time for the hiring of servants in the rural districts of England.

Maryland. The name given by Lord Baltimore to the colony founded by him, in honour of Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I.

Maryland End. An Americanism for the hock of the ham, as distinguished from the other, the “Virginia End.”

Marylebone. A corruption of “St Mary of the Bourn”--i.e. the parish church of St Mary beside the bourn or stream which descended from near the hermitage at “Kilburn” to “Tyburn.”

Masaniello. The name of the leader of the Neapolitan insurrectionists of the seventeenth century was Tommaso Aniello, of which Masaniello is a corruption.

Masher. From the Romany or gipsy Masha, “to fascinate the eye.” Whether the overdressed fop, so designated in our day, really possessed this enviable quality is open to question.

Mason and Dixon’s Line. An American expression for the old-time boundary between the slave and the free states. This line was defended between Pennsylvania and Maryland and Virginia by two English surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in 1763-7.

Massage. A Frenchised Hindoo word for rubbing. A male and female practitioner of this new curative mode of friction treatment are respectively styled a masseur and masseuse.

Mattan Diamond. This, the largest in the world, weighing 367 carats, is the property of the Rajah of Mattan in India.

Maudlin. A word expressive of sentimentality or an inclination to shed tears, more especially when in a state of intoxication. Old painters always represented Mary Magdalen with swollen eyes, the result of penitential tears; hence a corruption of “Magdalen.”

Maund. The Saxon for an alms-basket employed in the distribution of bread to the poor by the Lady of the Manor.

Maundy Thursday. So called from Maundé, the French form of Mandatum, the first word in the New Commandment or mandate given by our Lord to His disciples after washing their feet at the Last Supper. The essence of this mandate was to love one another; hence the washing of feet of poor persons and distribution of doles by the reigning sovereign on this day. See “Maund.”

Mauritius. A Dutch colony named in honour of Maurice, Prince of Orange.

Mausoleum. After the magnificent sepulchral monument erected by his widow, Artemisia, to Mausolus, King of Caria, at Halicarnassus, 353 B.C.

May. The budding or shooting of plants in this month caused the Romans to give it the name of Magius, afterwards shortened into Maius, from the Sanskrit mah, to grow. Eventually this month was held sacred to Maia, the mother of Mercury, to whom sacrifices were offered on the first day.

Maydew Cherries. A corruption of Medoc cherries, from the district in France where they are cultivated.

Mayfair. On the site of this fashionable district Edward III. established a six days’ fair in the month of May for the benefit of the leper hospital of St James the Less, where St James’s Palace now stands.

May Meetings. The annual meetings of the many religious, missionary, and philanthropic bodies of the United Kingdom are held in London, generally at Exeter Hall, during the month of May.

Mazarin Bible. A very rare edition of the Scriptures, being one of the earliest printed by Gutenberg with separate metal types, between 1450 and 1455. It received this name from the fact that a copy was discovered in the library of Cardinal Mazarin.

Mecklenburg Square. One of the many names about London which, when new streets were built upon, complimented the Hanoverian Succession.

Medina. Expresses the Arabic for “City.” Its full name is Medinat al Nabi, “City of the Prophet.”

Mediterranean Sea. The sea “in the middle of the earth” is that between the two great continents, Europe and Africa.

Medway. See “Maidstone.”

Meerschaum. Expresses the German for “sea foam,” the fine white clay out of which pipes are made being at one time thought to be the petrified scum or foam of the sea.

Meistersingers. Literal German for “Master Singers”; master craftsmen who in the Middle Ages revived the national minstrelsy, which had been allowed to fall into decay.

Melbourne. In honour of Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister in 1837, when this Australian colony was founded.

Melodrama. Modern drama, distinguished by incidental music as an accompaniment to the action.

Memorial Day. The United States mode of expressing a great commemorative occasion, such as Independence or Decoration Day.

Memorial Hall. This building, in Farringdon Road, commemorates the issue of the famous “Act of Uniformity,” whereby 2000 ministers of the Church of England were deprived of their livings on 24th August 1662. The site was formerly occupied by the old Fleet Prison.

Memory-Corner Thompson. The name borne by John Thompson of the parish of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields. Seated in a corner of a coffee-house, he was wont for the amusement of regular habitues to display his astounding powers of memory in regard to the topography of London.

Memory Woodfall. The sobriquet of William Woodfall, brother to the reputed author of the celebrated “Letters of Junius.” His mnemonical powers differed from that of “Memory-Corner Thompson” in that, after listening to a debate, Parliamentary or otherwise, overnight, he could repeat it word for word the next morning.

Mentor. A “guide, philosopher, and friend,” so called after Mentor, the faithful friend and counsellor of Ulysses.

Mercenaries. From the Latin mercer, wages, reward. These hired soldiers of antiquity figured largely in the Punic Wars.

Mercer. The old name for a dealer in silks and woollen fabrics, so called from the Latin mercis, wares, merchandise. Nowadays such a one styles himself a “Draper.”

Merino. A fabric of wool from the sheep of the same name, which expresses the Spanish for an inspector of sheep walks.

Merioneth. After Merion, an early British saint.

Merrimac. Indian for “swift water.”

Merry Andrew. A buffoon or clown, said to have been so called after Andrew Borde, a noted physician of the time of Henry VIII., whose witticisms were on a par with his medical skill. His sayings were widely repeated, and since it happened that Andrew was then the most common name for a man-servant, facetious fellows came to be dubbed Merry Andrews.

Merry Monarch. Charles II., who from the time of coming to the throne never knew care, but made his life one round of pleasure.

Mesopotamia. The ancient description of the region situate between the Tigris and the Euphrates. The name is Greek, from mesos, middle, and potamos, river.

Messe Rouge. Expresses the French for “Red Mass.” At the resumption of their duties at the Law Courts after the Long Vacation all the Catholic judges and barristers attend a Mass of the Holy Ghost to invoke the Spirit for the gift of wisdom. Like the masses of the Feast of the Holy Ghost, the vestment worn by the officiating priest is red, in allusion to the tongues of fire that descended upon the Apostles on Whit Sunday.

Methodists. This name was first given by a fellow-student of Christ Church, Oxford, to the Brothers Wesley and a few friends who were in the habit of meeting on certain evenings for religious conversation. They also visited the inmates of Oxford Jail at stated times, always faithfully kept their engagements, and acted up to their Christian principles in a strictly methodical manner. The new sect was afterwards styled by John Wesley “The First Methodist Society.”

Metz. This city was styled by the Romans Mettis, from the Medio matrici, the people of the country, whom they conquered.

Mexico. Expresses the seat or place of Mexitli, the Aztec god of war.

Michaelmas Day. The feast of St Michael, prince of the heavenly host, and patron saint of the Catholic Church. This is properly described as “St Michael and all Angels” (29th September).

Michaelmas Goose. Stubble geese being at their best about this time, the rural tenantry always brought their landlords a goose with their Michaelmas rent. Since the latter usually received more geese than they could consume themselves, they passed them over to friends, and thus the goose became a standing Michaelmas dish.

Michigan. Indian for “a weir for fish.”

Middlesex. Expresses the territory of the Middle Saxons, situate between that of the East and West Saxons under the Heptarchy.

Middling. North of England, and also American, for medium or passable in the sense of feeling well.

Mignonette. Expresses the diminutive of Mignon, the French for “darling.”

Mildmay Park. The estate of the Mildmays, whose ancestor, Sir Henry Mildmay, came, by marriage, into possession of Mildmay House and its park in the time of Charles I.

Mile End Gate. From a toll gate which at this point of the highroad marked the eastern limits of London town and the parish of Whitechapel, distant one mile from the city boundary at Aldgate.

Miles Lane. After Miles Coverdale, a famous preacher at the Weigh-House Chapel hard by in former days.

Milford Lane. From an old mill that stood here in the fields. The lane itself led to a ford across the river at low water.

Milking the Street. An Americanism for the operations of stockbrokers who, by alternately raising and depressing shares, capture all the floating money in the market. The allusion is, of course, to Wall Street, the financial centre of New York city.

Milk Street. The ancient milk and butter market in connection with Cheapside.

Millbank. From an old mill that stood on the Thames bank, on the site of which the Grosvenors built a mansion, subsequently displaced for the gloomy prison of the same name.

Millerites. An American religious sect, whose founder, William Miller, prophesied the millennium or first judgment of the world by Christ and His angels to take place on 23rd February 1843. Many of his followers went mad through excitement as this date approached. Subsequent days assigned for the fulfilment of the prophesy proved alike misleading.

Milliner. A corruption of Milaner, after the city of Milan, which at one time set the fashion throughout Europe for elegance and taste not only in matters of dress, but of art. A milliner is one who deals in hats, feathers, and ribbons. See “Mercer.”

Mill Street. From a mill that stood hereabouts when the scene was one of peaceful rusticity.

Milton Street. After the author of “Paradise Lost,” who resided here for a time, and was buried in the parish church of St Giles’s, Cripplegate. This was the famous Grub Street of tradition.

Milwaukee. Indian for “rich land.”

Mincing Lane. A corruption of “Mynchen Lane,” denoting the property of the Minchery, the Saxon term for a nunnery of St Helen’s in Bishopsgate Street.

Minden Boys. The 20th Foot, so called from the conspicuous bravery displayed by them at the battle of Minden.

Mind your P’s and Q’s. This had reference originally to the pints and quarts chalked up against a rustic at the village alehouse. When his score threatened to become too disproportionate to his prospective wages, the alehouse-keeper generally administered a timely warning in these set terms. It was a polite way of saying he would very soon decline to serve him with more until the next settling day.

Miniature. So called because this early species of hand-painted portraiture originated in the head of the Madonna or of a saint that formed the initial letter of the beautifully illuminated rubrics produced by the monks styled the “Miniatori,” because their paints were made out of minium, or red lead.

Minnesingers. Expresses the Old German for “love singers,” the troubadours of the Fatherland in the Middle Ages.

Minnesota. Indian for “smoky water.”

Minorca. Expresses the lesser of the “Balearic Islands.”

Minories. This thoroughfare was laid out across the lands belonging to the Minoresses or Nuns of St Clare after their priory had been demolished at the Reformation. The Order of the Minoresses corresponded to the Friars Minor of the Franciscans founded by St Francis de Paula.

Minster. The distinction between a minster and a cathedral lies in this: the former is the church in connection with a monastery, whereas the latter contains the kathedra, or chair, of a bishop.

Minstrel Boy. A favourite page whose duty it was to attend a knight in peace and war. On his return from “feats of arms” he recited the doughty deeds of his master to the accompaniment of a lute, harp, or lyre in the banqueting-hall. In times of peace his theme was the bravery of the knight in the lists at tournaments or his prowess in defence of fair maidens.

Minstrel of the Border. The name bestowed upon William Wordsworth by Sir Walter Scott.

Mint. On the spot where Manlius Capitolinus had built himself a sumptuous residence the Romans set up a temple to Juno Moneta, or “The Monitress,” since Manlius had been apprised of the Gallic invasion through the cackling of the sacred geese. Subsequently 230this temple of Moneta was converted into an establishment for the coinage of money. Both mint and money therefore come from Moneta.

Mint Street. From the old mint established at Suffolk House by Henry VIII. when that property was sequestered to the Crown.

Minuet. So called from the Latin minutus, small, on account of the short, graceful steps which distinguish this dance.

Miserere. The name given to a mediæval choir stall of which the seat could be turned up so as to form a ledge for the support of the aged monks while kneeling. Its name, miserere, “Have mercy,” was singularly appropriate.

Misluck. An Americanism for misfortune or ill luck.

Misses’ Tailors. An Americanism for “Ladies’ Tailors.”

Mississippi. Indian for “great and long river.”

Missouri. Indian for “muddy water.”

Mitre. An inn sign most generally to be met with in a cathedral city, having reference, of course, to the mitre worn by a bishop.

Mitre Court. So called after an ancient Fleet Street tavern hard by.

Mitre Square. From an old inn, “The Mitre.”

Mob. From the Latin mobile vulgus, “the vulgar crowd.”

Mobtown. The name given to the city of Baltimore on account of the lawlessness of a certain section of its inhabitants.

Mocha. Coffee brought from the district of the same name in Arabia.

Mocking Bird. A species of thrush that mocks or imitates the notes produced by other birds.

Moet and Chandon. A favourite brand of champagne from the vineyards of the French firm trading under the name of “Moet et Chandon.”

Molasses. The American term for syrup or treacle, derived from the French melasse, the root of which is the Latin mellis, honey.

Money. See “Mint.”

Mohair. From the Arabic Mukhayyar, “goatskin hair,” through the French moire, the fine silken hair of the Angora goat.

Mohawks. Night marauders who in the days of the “Old Charlies” terrorised peaceable London citizens, self-styled after the fierce Indian tribe of the same name. “Mohawk” means “man-eater” or “live-eater,” this term being applied to the Iroquois by the eastern Indians of North America.

Moire Antique. The French description of watered silk worked in the style of the olden times. See “Mohair.”

Moldavia. The country traversed by the River Moldau.

Moleskin. A superior fabric of fustian or strong cotton distinguished for a smoothness like the hair of the mole.

Molly Maguires. An Irish Secret Society in the United States, more especially Pennsylvania, composed of young men dressed in women’s clothes, and with blackened faces, who did not hesitate to murder in connection with the agrarian outrages that they committed. The execution of ten of the ringleaders in June 1877 at length put an end to their reign of terror.

Monastery. From the Greek monos, alone. This term expresses an establishment of monks, secluded from one another in cells except when at prayers or at meals; recluses who never go into the outer world at all. A Friary, on the contrary, is a convent whose inmates live in community and go forth to preach among the people.

Monday. A term derived from Scandinavian mythology when, after the first day of the week given up to sun-worship, the second was set apart for the worship of the moon.

Money makes Money. This is a truism which it were vain to deny. Without capital a man cannot possibly set up in business for himself, even as a costermonger. The command of money makes its possessor doubly rich.

Monger. This word enters into various designations of the trading community, such as Fishmonger, Costermonger, being derived from the Anglo-Saxon mongere, “one who trades.”

Monk. From the Greek monachos, “one who lives alone.” See “Monastery.”

Monkey. From the Italian monicchio, the diminutive of monna, an ape. This word is often used as a verb--e.g. “Don’t monkey about on there,” meaning “Don’t play about or be up to monkeyish pranks.”

Monkey Board. The platform at the back of an omnibus, so called on account of the capers usually indulged in by the conductor. On a vehicle of the old-fashioned kind this platform was so small that he had to jump off it in order to allow a passenger to enter or alight.

Monk Lewis. The sobriquet of Matthew Gregory Lewis after he had published his celebrated novel, “The Monk,” in 1795.

Monmouth. The mouth of the Mon, the ancient description of which was Mynwy, “the border river.”

Montague Place. This, like the street close by, received its name from Montague House, the town mansion of the Dukes of Montague, in which the treasures of the British Museum were at first deposited pending the erection of the present edifice.

Montague Square. Like the street of the same name, this was designated in compliment to Mrs Montague of the “Blue Stocking Club,” who after the death of her husband resided in Portman Square.

Mont Blanc. French for “white mountain,” because it is eternally snow-clad.

Montenegro. Literally “black mountain.”

Montepulciano. A famous Italian wine produced at the ancient city of the same name.

Montgomery. After Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, who obtained forcible possession of the castle erected on the height by the Lord of the Marshes in the time of William the Conqueror.

Montreal. So called from the admiring exclamation of Jacques Coutier, when in 1534 he viewed the surrounding country from its summit. The name is French for “Royal Mount.”

Montserrat. Expresses the Latin for a mountain serrated or jagged like a saw.

Monumental City. Baltimore, so called on account of its one hundred and four churches, the obelisk, etc., which it contains.

Moonshiners. The name given in the western states of America to illicit whisky distillers.

Moonshine Whisky. American whisky distilled under cover of night by “Moonshiners.”

Moorfields. See “Moorgate Street.”

Moorgate Street. From the postern gate in the Roman Wall leading to the moor beyond the fen lands or marshes of Finsbury known as Moorfields.

Moors. From the Latin mauri, and Spanish moros, “black.” Elsewhere denominated “Saracens,” these Arab conquerors of the peninsula were called by the Spaniards “Moriscoes.”

Mop Fair. The name given to a fair held a few days after the periodical Statute Fair for the hiring of farm servants. The dregs of the Statute Fair are then mopped or swept up.

Moravia. From the Morava, which name expresses a marsh or boundary river.

Moravians. The followers of John Huss, driven out of Bohemia and Moravia by religious persecutions early in the eighteenth century.

Morgan Horse. A favourite breed of American sporting horse descended from the animal owned by Justin Morgan, a schoolmaster of Randolph, Vermont, nearly a hundred years ago.

Morgue. So far from denoting a mortuary, this term really means the inner wicket of a prison, where the identification marks of new arrivals are taken before they have their cells and tasks assigned to them. It is therefore not incorrectly applied to the place of public examination and identification of the unknown dead.

Morisonians. A religious sect which separated from the Scottish Presbyterians in 1841, under the leadership of James Morison.

Mormons. A sect whose founder, Joseph Smith, claimed to have received a new revelation in “The Book of Mormon,” written on gold plates by the angel Mormon, the last of the Hebrew line of prophets, in 1827.

Mornington Crescent. After the Earl of Mornington, Governor-General of India, the brother of the Duke of Wellington.

Morocco. The territory of the Moriscoes or “Moors.”

Morris Dance. An ancient military dance of the Moriscoes or Moors of Spain introduced to England by John of Gaunt after his return from that country, temp. Edward III. Hence the companions of the “Jack in the Green” at the May Day festival always blackened their faces, and disported themselves in extravagant costumes, imitative of the flowing robes of the original dancers. See “Maid Marian.”

Mortimer Street. After Edward Harley, Earl of Wigmore and Mortimer, landlord of the estate in 1717.

Mosaics. So called because such inlaid work of stones was originally employed in the pavements of the temples of the Muses. The word is French mosaique, derived from the same Greek root as Museum.

Moscow. From the River Moskwa, on which the city was built.

Moselle. Wines produced at the vineyards on the banks of the French river of the same name.

Moslem. From the Arabic Muslim, “true believer,” through Salama, “to submit.” This term expresses the plural of “Mussulman” among the Persians. By the Turks “true believers” are styled “Moslemin.” There is no such word as “Mussulmen” or “Mussulmans.”

Mosquito. From the Spanish mosca, a fly.

Mosquito Coast. A territory in Central America which, on account of its climate and the swampy nature of the land, is infested by mosquitoes.

Mothering Sunday. The Sunday in Mid-Lent when the members of a family in domestic service visit their parents and enjoy “Mothering Cakes” for tea. These cakes had their origin in offerings made to the “Mother Church” on the afternoon on this day.

Mother Black Cap. A public-house sign in Camden Town set up in opposition to the “Mother Red Cap” over the way. There never was a noted character of this name.

Mother of Believers. The name bestowed by Mohammedans upon Ayesha, the favourite wife of “The Prophet,” styled “The Father of Believers.” Mohammed himself declared that Ayesha was the only member of his family who cherished the slightest faith in his mission. His preference for his second wife, therefore, can be readily understood.

Mother of Presidents. Virginia, on account of the many Presidents which this state has given to the American Republic.

Mother of South-Western Statesmen. Tennessee, from the seventeen eminent Congressmen which this state has given to the Union.

Mother of States. Virginia, the pioneer British colony in the New World.

Mother Red Cap. An omnibus stage in Camden Town, the sign of which perpetuates the memory of a notorious London poisoner during the Commonwealth.

Mother Shipton. A noted hostelry at Haverstock Hill, built when the prophecies of this Welsh sorceress were the common talk of the day. Some of her less baneful predictions were actually verified; notably those as to ships ploughing the ocean without sails and vehicles careering along the road without horses. Is it possible that she had the motor car in her mind?

Moulin Rouge. Expresses the French for “Red Mill.”

Mound City. St Louis, on account of the numerous artificial mounds occupying its site at the time when the city was built.

Mountain. The extremists of the Democratic party in France during the Reign of Terror, so called because they occupied the elevated benches in the House of Convention.

Mountain Dew. An Irishman’s term for whisky, because it was often secretly distilled among the mountains in order to escape excise duty; hence the expression: “A drop o’ the cratur.”

Mount Street. On a natural mound the Parliamentary forces here erected a fort or bastion when the Royalists were expected to make an attack upon London from the west.

Mrs Grundy. A term expressive of the prudishness of the English character. It arose out of the line: “What will Mrs Grundy say?” in Thomas Morton’s drama, “Speed the Plough,” produced in 1798.

Mudlarks. The nickname of the Royal Engineers, whose function it is to throw up entrenchments.

Muff. This term was at first applied to an effeminate dandy who at one time, like the ladies, carried a muff to keep his hands warm in winter. This incapacitated him from defending himself with his sword against an unexpected attack at the hands of a street bully, and hence, as now, a muff was easily taken advantage of, or likely to become a prey to the sharp-witted.

Muff Dogs. Small dogs carried by ladies in their muffs during the seventeenth century. A “muff dog” figures in an engraving by Hollar.

Mug. Slang for a man’s face. This arose out of the rude portraiture of Lord Shaftesbury or some other political celebrity which from the time of the Restoration to the middle of the eighteenth century adorned the yellow chinaware beer mugs at an alehouse, or Mug-House as it was called. These Mug-Houses were the first political clubs; out of them sprang the popular “Free and Easies” of modern times, and more recently the Music Halls.

Muggletonians. A religious sect headed by Ludovic Muggleton, a tailor, who proclaimed himself a prophet, in 1651.

Mugwump. An Indian word for “wise chief.” The Mugwumps of North America are the Democrats, whose political aims are above cliques or parties; therefore they refuse to be influenced by a “Caucus.”

Mulatto. From the Spanish mulato, a mixed breed, through mulo, a mule, the offspring of a white and a Negro.

Mumm. A strong German beer named after Christian Mumme, who first brewed it.

Mummer. Slang for an actor. This old English term, derived from the German mumme, a mask, was applied to the performers in a Christmas masque or buffoonery.

Mummock. An Americanism for handle, disarrange, or play with--e.g. “Don’t mummock things about.” The word is really obsolete provincial English for “maul.”

Munich. From the German monchen, monks. On the spot where the city stands some monks built a warehouse for the salt which they obtained in the neighbourhood. In the twelfth century Henry the Lion made this Villa Minichen, as it was then called, into a mint, and a town grew up around it.

Munster Road. From Munster House, the residence of Melesina Schulenberg, created Duchess of Munster by George II.

Munster Square. In honour of the eldest son of William IV., created Earl of Munster.

Murphies. Potatoes, the chief articles of consumption among the Irish peasantry. This term is current also in America.

Muscadel. French and Italian wines, so called from the Italian muscado, musk, nutmeg. Variants of this name are Muscatel and Muscadine.

Muscatels. Raisins exported from Muscat in the Gulf of Oman, Arabia.

Muscovy Duck. A corruption of “Musk duck,” a species larger than the common duck.

Mush. An Americanism for an umbrella.

Musical Comedy Artiste. The new pet name for a chorus girl.

Musical Small-Coal Man. The lifelong sobriquet of Thomas Britton of Aylesbury Street, Clerkenwell, where was his coal shed. He inaugurated Thursday evening concerts, that attracted fashionable enthusiasts from the West End. This worthy, though he earned his livelihood by crying small coals in the street, was a scholar, a musician, and a companion of gentlemen.

Muslin. Called by the French Mousseline, from Mosul in Asiatic Turkey, whence during the Middle Ages this fabric was sent to supply all the markets of Europe.

Muss. An Americanism for “mess,” used in the sense of a confusion or disorder. It is used also to imply a squabble or a reprimand--e.g. “I got into a dreadful muss this morning.”

Mussulman. See “Moslem.”

Muswell Hill. Properly “Mustwell Hill,” from the Latin mustus, fresh. On this hill there was discovered an ancient well of clear, fresh water, that belonged to the prior of St John’s Clerkenwell and Highbury, who had a dairy farm hereabouts.

Mutes. See “Undertaker.”

Mutoscope. A modern peep show, in which the figures move; living pictures, so called from the Latin mutatis, to change, and the Greek skopein, to view.

Myddleton Square. After Sir Hugh Myddleton, who at his own cost embarked upon the ruinous enterprise of constructing the New River from Chadwell in Hertfordshire, nearly forty miles distant, to London. One of the reservoirs occupies the enclosed portion of this square.

My Eye. An exclamation signifying “You dazzle me,” “You make me blink with astonishment.” Its American equivalent is briefly “My!”

My Lady Nicotine. The pretty name now generally applied to tobacco since the republication in book form of J. M. Barrie’s essays on smoking which originally appeared in the St James’s Gazette. See “Nicotine.”

Mythology. From the Greek muthos, a fable, and logos, a discourse. This was essentially a religion built upon fable.

My Uncle. The popular designation of a pawnbroker. See “Uncle.”

 

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