Meat-axe. Savage as a meat-axe, phr. (American).—Extremely hungry.
1843. Carlton, New Purchase [Bartlett]. It would be a charity to
give the pious brother some such feed as chicken fixins and doins,
for he looks half-starved and as savage as a meat axe.
1852. Kirkland, Forest Life, i. 103. ‘Why, you don’t eat nothing!’
he exclaimed; ‘ridin’ don’t agree with you, I guess! Now, for my
part, it makes me as savage as a meat-axe.’
Meat-bag (or -safe), subs. (American).—The stomach. For synonyms see
Victualling-office.
1848. Ruxton, Life In The Far West, p. 8. Well, Dick was as full of
arrows as a porkypine; one was sticking right through his cheek,
one in his meat-bag, and two more ’bout his hump-ribs.
Meat-flashing, subs. (common).—Exposure of the person. Hence,
meat-flasher = a public offender in this line.
Meat-in-the-pot, subs. (Western American).—A revolver.
English synonyms. Barker; barking iron; black-eyed Susan; blazer;
bulldog; Colt; the democratiser (American: as making all men equal);
unconverted friend; pop, or pop-gun; persuader; shooting-iron;
shot-gun; six-shooter; stick; towel; two-pipe scatter-gun.
French synonyms. Un bayafe (thieves’); un blavin (also = pocket
handkerchief); les burettes (= phials); un crucifix or crucifix à
ressorts (thieves’); un mandolet (thieves’); un mouchoir de poche (Cf.
blavin).
Meaty, adj. (common).—1. Plump; and (2) enjoyable. See Meat.
1851–61. Mayhew, London Lab., iii. 210. I’m just meaty enough for
my profession.
Mechanic, subs. (old: now recognised).—See quot. 1690. As adj. =
common; vulgar; mean.
1599. Shakspeare, Henry V, i. 2. 200. The poor mechanic porters
crowding in.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Mechanic, a Tradesman; also a
mean, inconsiderable, contemptible Fellow.
Med (Medic, Medical, or Medico), subs. (medical).—A medical man. Also a
student.
1823. The Crayon (Yale Coll.), p. 23. Who sent The medic to our
aid!
1850. Yale Banger [Hall], Nov. Seniors, Juniors, Freshmen blue, And
medics sing the Anthem too.
1853. Songs of Yale, p. 16. Take ... Sixteen interesting meds, With
dirty hands and towzeled heads.
1864. D. Masson, in Macm. Mag., Dec., p. 124. Those minute
physiognomic differences, which enable an expert to distinguish a
jolly young medical from a prematurely-sharp leguleian.
1885. B. G. Wilder, Journal Nervous Diseases, xii. Medic is the
legitimate paronym of medicus, but is commonly regarded as slang.
1889. Lancet, 13 July [No. 3437], p. 96. The London medicals were
quite as popular.
1890. Answers, 25 Dec. She did her exercise and work and had her
meals alone, and during the whole of that period the only persons
she spoke to were the governor (known in prison as the ‘boss’), the
chaplain (in prison parlance ‘sky pilot’), the medico (doctor), and
the ‘screw’ (female warder).
Meddler. Lay-overs for meddlers. See Lare-over.
Medes and Persians, subs. phr. (Winchester College).—Jumping on a man
(q.v.) when in bed.
Medical Greek, subs. phr. (common).—See Marrowskying.
1885. Household Words, 20 June, p. 155. Medical students have
liberally assisted in the formation of slang, their special
department thereof being known as medical greek.
Medicine, subs. (common).—1. Liquor; and (2) greens (q.v.). To take
one’s medicine = (1) to drink; and (2) to copulate. For synonyms see
Drinks and Ride.
Medium, subs. (Australian).—A person engaged by a squatter, part of
whose ‘run’ is offered by Government at a land lottery. The medium
takes lot-tickets, as if bent upon cultivation, attends the drawing,
and, if his ticket be drawn before his principal’s land is gone,
selects it, and hands it over on payment of the attendance fee.
Medlar, subs. (venery).—1. The female pudendum. Cf. Open-arse. For
synonyms see Monosyllable. Hence, a harlot.
1603. Shakspeare, Measure for Measure, iv. 3. Else they would have
married me to the rotten medlar.