1805. A. Scott, Poems, 34. Honest men’s been ta’en for rogues, When
bad luck gars drown the miller, Hunted ’maist out o’ their brogues,
Fortune-smit for lack o’ siller.
Miller’s-eye, subs. (common).—A lump of flour in a loaf.
To put the miller’s-eye out, verb. phr. (common).—To be sparing of
flour.
Miller’s-thumb. See Cobbler’s-thumb.
Milliner’s-shop, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see
Monosyllable.
Mill-ken, subs. (thieves’).—A housebreaker. See Area-sneak, and (for
synonyms) Thieves.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. I. ch. v. (Repr. 1874), p. 50.
Milken, one that breaks houses.
1669. Nicker Nicked, in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), ii. 108. Mill-ken
[in list of names of thieves].
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Milken, a house breaker.
1725. Old Ballad (in New Cant. Dict.), ‘The Twenty Craftsmen.’ The
fourth was a mill-ken, to crack up a door, He’d venture to rob both
the rich and the poor.
1754. Fielding, Jonathan Wild, bk. I. ch. v. The same capacity
which qualifies a mill-ken, a bridle-cull, or a buttock-and-file to
arrive at any degree of eminence in his profession would likewise
raise a man in what the world esteem a more honourable calling.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Milling, subs. (common).—1. A beating. Also fighting.
1810. Combe, Dr. Syntax, ii. 2. One blood gives t’other a milling.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, iv. The champion of England stands
unrivalled for his punishment, game, and milling on the retreat.
1841. Mrs. Gore, Cecil, 158. Put myself in a Cribb-like attitude
for a milling-match.