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 Mucker, subs. (common).—See to go a muck: also to come a cropper.

2. (common).—See muck, sense 4.

3. (military).—A commissariat officer.

Verb. (colloquial).—To blunder badly; to come to grief; to fail.

1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, xiv. Welter has muckered but worse than that, they say that Charles Marston's classical first is fishy.

Muckerer (or Mokerer), subs. (old).—A miser.

c.1381. Chaucer, Boethius, Bk. ii. Auarice maketh alwaie muckerers to be hated.

Muck-fork, subs. (common).—A hand; a finger.

Muckibus, adj. (old).—See quot. For synonyms see Drinks and Screwed.

1756. Walpole, Letters, i. 498. She said in a very vulgar accent, if she drank any more she should be muckibus. 'Lord,' said Lady Mary Coke, 'what is that?' 'Oh, it is Irish for sentimental!'

Muckingtogs (or Muckintogs).—A mackintosh.

1851-61. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, ii. 137. With a carpet-swab and muckingtogs.

Muckrake, subs. (American).—See quot.

1871. De Vere, Americanisms, s.v. Muckrakes, a slang term in politics for persons who 'fish in troubled waters,' from the idea of their raking up the muck to see what valuable waifs and strays they may find in it. The term is generally used in the form of muckrakes and placemongers.

Mucks. See mux.

Muck-snipe, subs. (common).—A ruined gambler. Cf. Muck, verb., sense 2.

1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. & Lon. Poor, i. 279. I was a muck-snipe when I was there—why, a muck-snipe, sir, is a man regularly done up, coopered, and humped altogether.

Muck-train, subs. (military).—A commissariat train.

Muck-worm, subs. (old).—A miser; [Cf. Muck = money]. Also an upstart.

1665. Howard, The Committee, ii. Come, pr'y thee let's go; these muck-*worms will have earth enough to stop their mouths with one day.

1670. J. Eachard, Contempt of the Clergy [Arber, Garner, Vol. vii. p. 298]. It is a great hazard if he be not counted a caterpillar! a muckworm! a very earthly minded man!

1695. Congreve, Love for Love, ii. 1. 'Oons, whose son are you? how were you engendered, muckworm?

1748. Thomson, Castle of Indolence, i. 50. Here you a muckworm of the town might see.

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

1795. R. Cumberland, The Jew, i. Here comes one that supersedes all other visitors—old Sheva, the rich Jew, the merest muck-worm in the city of London.

1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.

1895. H. B. Marriott-Watson, in New Review, July, p. 7. 'You muck-*worm, you—I'll slit your gizzard, you.'

Mud, subs. (old).—1. See quots. For synonyms see Buffle and Cabbage-head.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 13. Mud, a Fool, or Thick-scull Fellow.

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Mud(s) also a dull, heavy-headed fellow is called a mud.

1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. Mud—a stupid twaddling fellow. 'And his