1866. Mansfield, School Life, 219. The Præfects’ tables in Hall
were called ‘Tub, Middle, and Junior mess’ respectively. The boys
who dined at each were also so named. Any number of boys who
habitually breakfasted together were so called, with some
distinguishing prefix, such as Deputy’s mess. In Chambers tea was
called mess; as was also the remains of a joint of meat. Lest the
reader should make a mess of all these different meanings, I will
give a sentence in which they shall all figure, ‘Look.... Junior
mess has sat down at Tub mess, but as they will find nothing left
but a mess, they had better go down to chambers as mess is ready.’
To mess about, verb. phr. (venery).—1. To take liberties; to
firkytoodle (q.v.).