Men. See Man for all senses.
Menagerie, subs. (theatrical).—The orchestra.
Menavelings, subs. (railway clerks’).—Odd money in the daily accounts;
fluff (q.v.); overs and shorts. Cf. Manablins.
Mend. To mend fences, verb. phr. (American).—To mind one’s own
business; to attend to one’s interest.
To correct (or mend) the magnificat, verb. phr. (old).—To correct that
which is faultless.—Ray (1670).
Mentor, subs. (American).—See quot.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Mentor. A second in the ring.
Mephisto, subs. (tailors’).—A foreman.
Merchant, subs. (old).—A term of abuse.
d. 1555. Latimer, Sermons, 115. b. [Nares]. The crafty merchant
that will set brother against brother meaneth to destroy them both.
1557–8. Jacob & Esau [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ii. 253]. What, ye
saucy merchant, are ye a prater now?
1595. Shakspeare, Romeo & Juliet, ii. 4. 153. I pray you, sir, what
saucy merchant was this that was so full of his ropery?
1633. Match at Midnight, v. 1. I knew you were a crafty merchant.
To play the merchant, verb. phr. (old).—See quot. 1593.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s Teares [Grosart (1885), iv. 240]. Is it not a
common proverb amongst us, when any man hath cosened or gone
beyonde us, to say, Hee hath playde the merchant with us.
1632. W. Rowley, Woman Never Vext, iv. 1. I doubt, Sir, he will
play the merchant with us.
Mercury, subs. (old: now recognised).—1. See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Mercury ... and a Courant or
News-letter.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1755. Johnson, Eng. Dict., s.v. Mercury ... it is now applied in
cant phrase to the carriers of news and pamphlets.
1827. Todd, Johnson’s Dict., s.v. Mercury ... it had been a cant
phrase more than a century before Dr. Johnson’s time; and was used
generally for a messenger.