Martin-drunk, adj. (old).—See quot. For synonyms see Drinks and
Screwed.
1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse [Grosart, ii. 82]. The sixt is martin
drunke, when a man is drunk, and drinkes himselfe sober ere he
stirre.
Martinet, subs. (old: now recognised).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. A military term for a strict disciplinarian:
from the name of a French general, famous for restoring military
discipline to the French army. He first disciplined the French
infantry, and regulated their method of encampment; he was killed
at the siege of Doesbourg in the year 1672.
Martingale, subs. (gaming).—Doubling a stake at every loss. [From the
fact that, as in all fair games, a player must win once, there is a
safe hold of fortune. The difficulty is to command a big enough bank,
or, having the bank, to find some one to follow in a fair game].
1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v. Martingale—at play, to double
stakes constantly, until luck taking one turn only, repays the
adventurer all.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, xxviii. You have not played as yet? Do
not do so; above all, avoid a martingale if you do.
1874. Mortimer Collins, Frances, ix. ‘This is my cousin, Dick
Wyldote. You ought to know him. He’s got an infallible
martingale—breaks the bank everywhere.’
1887. Science, x. 44. The fallacy of those who devise sure methods
of defeating the bank (martingales as they are termed), etc.
Martin’s-hammer. Martin’s-hammer knocking at the wicket, subs. phr.
(old).—Twins.
Marvel, verb. (American).—To walk; to be off: e.g. ‘He marvelled for
home.’ Also marble (q.v.).
Mary! intj. (printers’).—No score or love in jeff-ing (q.v.) with
quads.
To tie with St. Mary’s knot, verb. phr. (Scots’).—To hamstring.
1784. Poetical Museum, ‘Dick o’ the Cow,’ p. 27. Then Dickie into
the stable is gane,—Where there stood thirty horses and three; He
has tied them a’ wi’ St. Mary’s knot, A’ these horses but barely
three.
Mary-Ann, subs. (obsolete).—1. The dea ex machinâ evolved from
trades-unionism at Sheffield, to the utter destruction of recalcitrant
grinders. Cf. Molly Maguires.