1726. Gay, Beggar’s Opera, ii. Air xx. Why, how now, madam flirt.
1790. The Busy Bee (quoted in), iii. 59. Every bush beat, And no
signs of madam, no trace of her feet.
Madam Van, subs. phr. (old).—See quot. For synonyms see Barrack-hack
and Tart.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Madam Van, a whore. The cull
has been with Madam Van, the fellow has enjoyed such a one.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Madcap, subs. (old: now recognised).—A whimsical humourist; a rashling.
Fr. un lanturlu. As adj. = wild; freakish.
1594. Look About You [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), vii. 420]. But
pray have a care of this madcap.
1595. Shakspeare, Two Gentl. of Verona, ii. 5, 8. Come on, you
mad-cap, I’ll to the ale-house.
1597–8. Haughton, A Woman will have her Will [Dodsley, Old Plays
(1874), x. 498]. You madman, mad-cap, wild-oats.
1609. Fletcher, Wild-Goose Chase, iv. 1. If any of the mad-cap
gentlemen should come by, That take up women on special warrant,
you were in a wise case now.
1639. Glapthorne, Wit in a Constable [Pearson (1874), i. 199]. Pray
be you Sir Timothy, know his entrance: ’Tis such another mad-cap.
1658. Wit Restored [Hotten], 147. Two madcaps were committed late,
For treason, as some say.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie, in Wks. (1725), Bk. iv. p. 95. Her
grace finds me amongst a Crew Of mad-caps.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
d. 1796. Burns, To R.G. of F., 8. Not so the idle Muses’ mad-cap
train.
1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v. Mad-cap a frisky, wild lass,
full of fun.
1831. Lytton, Eugene Aram, Bk. 4, ch. xi. I could not a-think what
could make so shy an’ resarved a gentleman as Mr. Aram admit these
’ere wild mad-caps at that hour.
Mad-dog, subs. (Old Cant).—Strong ale. For synonyms see Drinks and
Swipes.
1586. Harrison, England, 202. There is such headie ale.... Commonly
called huffe-cappe, the mad dog, father-whore-sonne, angel’s-food,
dragon’s-milk, go-by-the-wall, stride-wide, and lift-leg.
Made. See Make, verb. sense 1.
Made-beer, subs. (Winchester College).—College swipes bottled with
rice, a few raisins, sugar, and nutmeg to make it ‘up’.—Mansfield.
Madge, subs. (American thieves’).—1. See quot. 1882.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1882. McCabe, New York, xxxiv. 510 (in list of slang terms). Madge,
private places.
2. (venery).—See quots. For synonyms see Monosyllable. Also
Madge-howlet.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Madge. The private parts of a woman.
1850. Halliwell, Archaic and Provincial Words, s.v. Madge (3). The
pudendum muliebre. South.
3. (Scots’).—A woman: partly in sport, and partly in
contempt.—Jamieson.
Madge-cull, subs. (Old Cant).—See quot. Cf. Mary-Ann.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Madge culls, sodomites (Cant).
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
Mad-pash, subs. (provincial).—See quot.
1850. Halliwell, Archaic & Provincial Words, s.v. Mad-pash. A mad
fellow.
Mad-Tom, subs. phr. (old).—See quots.: a Tom of Bedlam (q.v.).
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Mad Tom ... a rogue that counterfeits
madness.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Mad Tom. A fellow who feigns to be
foolish.
Mad-woman, subs. (old coaching).—An empty coach.
Madza, adj. (theatrical).—Half. Madza-caroon = half a crown;
madza-saltee = a halfpenny. [It. mezza]. Medza-beargered = half-drunk.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, xiv. They come at madza nova butchers
to inspect and see all is bona.
Mag, subs. (old).—1. Talk; chatter; jaw (q.v.). Also a jabberer. Fr. un
caquet-bon-bec.
1778. D’Arblay, Diary, i. 100. If you have any mag in you, we’ll
draw it out.
1874. E. Lynn Linton, Patricia Kemball, xviii. ‘Don’t be a fool,
woman, and hold your mag on things you don’t understand,’ said Mr.
Simpson coarsely.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 20. Tipped the mag with as much
bellows-blowing as though he’d two tongues in his cheeks.
2. (thieves’).—See quots. Also make and magpie. In pl. (in Scotland) =
a gratuity expected by servants. Cf. Meg = a guinea.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65. A make, a halfepenny.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Markall, p. 39 (H. Club’s Repr. 1874). Make,
an halfpenny.
1676. Warning for Housekeepers, ‘Song.’ But if the cully nap us ...
it is hardly worth a make.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Make.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Make (S.) a cant name for a
half-penny.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Make.
1789. Geo Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 124. Bless you eyes and limbs,
lay out a mag with poor chirruping Joe.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, 6. If any body offers you less nor
a mag, or a duce, vy, you may say with the poet, Who vou’d his
farthings bear? ven he himself might his quivetus make vith a bare
bodkin.
1830. W. T. Moncrieff, The Heart Of London, ii. 1. I haven’t a mag.
1838. Dickens, Oliver Twist, viii. ‘But come,’ said the young
gentleman, ‘you want grub, and you shall have it. I’m at
low-water-mark myself—only a bob and a magpie, but as it goes Ile
fork out and stump.’
1840. Lytton, Paul Clifford, xvi. You care not a mag if our party
should fall.
1842. Comic Almanack, 29 Aug. ‘La Fontaine’s Homeric Exhibition.’
It’s a science; methinks—tho’ La Fontaine may brag That in language
of slang, sir, is not worth a mag.
1843. W. T. Moncrieff, The Scamps Of London, ii. 3. I’ll play you
three times round the board for a mag a turn, and a pint to come
in—the first five out of nine.
1852. Dickens, Bleak House, ch. liv. p. 451. If he don’t keep such
a business as the present as close as possible it can’t be worth a
mag to him.
1861. Whyte Melville, Good for Nothing, ch. xliv. ‘I’ve kept this
safe for many a long day. I’ve held on to it when I hadn’t a mag in
my pocket, nor a crust in my wallet.’
1864. Standard, 13 Dec. We do not find the word make (a halfpenny)
used by boys in Ireland and extensively among the Irish labouring
people settled in London.
1876. Hindley, Adventures of a Cheap Jack, 64. We should not have
taken a mag, as we left the place in the morning.