Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 4.pdf/286

 Map, subs. (printers').—A dirty proof.

Marble (or Marvel), verb. (American).—To move off; to absquatulate (q.v.).

Marble-arch, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see Monosyllable.

Marbles, subs. (common).—1. Furniture; moveables. Money and marbles = cash and effects. [From Fr. meubles]. Hence, any substantial quid pro quó.

English synonyms. Belongings; household gods; lares and penates; moveables; sticks; sprats; slows; traps.

French synonyms. Le bahut (popular = large dresser); le bazar (prostitutes'); du fourbi (popular).

1867. A. Trollope, Claverings, ch. xxx. And you may be sure of this, she won't get any money from me, unless I get the marbles for it.

2. (old).—Syphilis; French gout (q.v.).

1592. R. Greene, Theeves Falling Out [Harl. Misc., viii. 392]. Look into the spittle and hospitalls, there you shall see men diseased of the French marbles, giving instruction to others.

1592. Greene, Quip for Upstart Courtier [Harl. Misc., vi. 406]. Neither do I frequent whore-houses to catch the marbles, and so grow your patient.

3. (venery).—The testes. For synonyms see Cods.

March. See Dirty-shirt march.

Marching-regiment, subs. (military).—An infantry regiment of the line: in disparagement.

Marchioness, subs. (common).—A slatternly maid-of-all-work; a slavey (q.v.). [From the character in The Old Curiosity Shop, by C. Dickens].

1883. G. A. Sala, in Ill. L. News, 24 Nov., p. 499, col. 1. I light upon the London papers, containing alarming statements about a little bit of a maid-of-all-work This marchioness down in Shrewsbury Vale has, it would appear, been the object of the most astounding 'manifestations.'

1885. J. S. Winter, Bootles' Baby, ch. ii. p. 36. To develop into the unnaturally widened and unkempt hand of a marchioness.

Mare, subs. (common).—A woman; a wife. The grey mare is the better horse = the wife rules the husband.

To win the mare or lose the halter, verb. phr. (old).—To play double or quits.

Money makes the mare go, phr. (common).—Money does anything you will.

1605. Breton, An Old Man's Lesson [Grosart, ii. l, 7, 2, line 32]. Money is a matter of more moment than you make account of; why money makes the medicine for the sick, pleads the client's cause, maintains the merchant's trade, makes the soldier fight, and the craftsman work, and the traveller tread lightly, and the old mare trot, and the young tit amble.

1662. Rump Songs, i. 232. 'The Power of Money.' Furr'd Aldermen too, and Mayors also; This makes the old wife trot, and makes the mare to go.

1728. Bailey, Eng. Dict., s.v. Money.

1857. Kingsley, Two Year's Ago, Introd. I'm making the mare go here in Whitford, without the money too, sometimes.

1886. Grego, Parl. Elections, 9. The proverb still remains, a relic of the days in which it had its origin, 'Money makes the mayor to go.'

Shanks's mare. See Shanks.