Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 4.pdf/276

 1855. Strang, Glasgow & its Clubs, 102. With his legs below the tavern mahogany, and with his own tankard of mahogany before him.

To have one's feet under another man's mahogany, verb. phr. (common).—To live on someone else.

To amputate one's mahogany, verb. phr. (common).—To run away; to cut one's stick (q.v.).

Mahogany-flat, subs. (common).—A bug: cf. Heavy cavalry. For synonyms see Norfolk Howard.

Mahometan-gruel, subs. (common).—Coffee.—Grose (3rd ed., 1796).

Maid. Neither wife, widow, nor maid, phr. (old).—See Maiden-wife-widow.

Maiden, subs. (Old Scots' colloquial).—1. A decapitating machine.

1715. Pennecuik, Descr. of Tweed-dale, pp. 16-17. Which fatal instrument, at least the pattern thereof, the cruel Regent [Earl Morton] had brought from abroad to behead the Laird of Pennecuik of that ilk, who notwithstanding died in his bed, and the unfortunate Earl was the first himself that handselled that merciless maiden.

1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. The rude, old guillotine of Scotland, called the maiden.

1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 7 Mar., p. 2. col 1. A young Scotch gentleman of good birth, named 'A. Balfour,' was executed by an instrument called the maiden.

2. (colloquial).—In cricket, an over with no runs; in racing, a horse which has never run. Also as adj.: as, a maiden-speech, a maiden-attempt etc.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Maiden-sessions, when none are hanged.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1882. Daily Telegraph, 2 Jan. The conditions contain no allowance for maidens.

Maiden-gear, subs. (old).—The virginity. Fr. côte de tribulation.

1719. Durfey, Pills to Purge, i. 130. My father takes me for a Saint, Tho' weary of my maiden geer, That I may give you full content, Pray look, Sir Knight, the coast be clear.

Maidenhead, subs. (vulgar: once literary).—'Newness; freshness; uncontaminated state. This is now become a low word.'—Johnson (1755).

1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller [Grosart, v. 114]. He would let Florence his mistres natiue citie have the maidenhead of his chiualrie.

1598. Shakspeare, Henry IV, 1. 59. The devil and mischance look big Upon the maidenhead of our affairs.

1694. Crowne, Married Beau, ii. 1. I'll give your ladyship the maidenhead of a new song of mine.

d.1726. Wotton [Johnson]. Some have stained the maidenhead of their credit with some negligent performance.

Maiden-town, subs. (Old Scots').—Edinburgh; auld reekie. [From a tradition that the maiden daughters of a Pictish King sought protection there during a time of civil war].

Maiden-wife-widow, subs. phr. (old).—1. See quot.; and (2) a whore [Ray (1767)].

1688. Randal Holmes, Academy of Armory, 404. A maiden-wife-widow, one that gave herself up to a man that could never enjoy her maidenhead.

Maid Marian, subs. phr. (old).—A wanton. [The character in the old morris-dance was taken by a loose woman].