Milling in the darkmans, subs. phr. (Old Cant).—Murder by night. See
Mill, verb. 1.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxviii. Men were men then, and fought
each other in the open field, and there was nae milling in the
darkmans.
Milling-cove, subs. phr. (pugilists’).—A pugilist.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Milling Cove. How the milling cove
served the cull out; how the boxer beat the fellow.
1819. Vaux, Memoirs, s.v.
1834. W. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, p. 250 (ed. 1864). Zoroaster, who
was not merely a worshipper of fire, but a thorough milling-cove,
had engaged to some purpose in a pugilistic encounter with the
rustics.
Mill-round, subs. (common).—Routine: see go through the mill, sense 2.
1892. M. E. Braddon, Gerard, p. 4. ‘What have you been doing with
yourself?’ ‘Nothing beyond the usual mill-round.’
Millstone. To see (or look) through a mill-stone (or brick wall), verb.
phr. (common).—To be well-informed; to judge with precision; to be
quick of perception.
1582. Lyly, Euphues and His England [Nares]. Then, Fidus, since
your eies are so sharp that you cannot onely looke through a
milstone, but cleane through the minde, and so cunning that you can
levell at the dispositions of women whom you never knew.
1767. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn (1893), 171], s.v.
1782. Mrs. Centlivre, Bold Stroke for a Wife, iii. 1. I’m sorry
such a well-invented tale should do you no more service. We old
fellows can see as far into a millstone as them that pick it.
To weep millstones, verb. phr. (old).—Said of a person not likely to
cry.
1597. Shakspeare, Rich. III, i. 3. Your eyes drop mill-stones when
fools’ eyes drop tears. Ibid. i. 6. Cl. Bid Glo’ster think on this,
and he will weep. 1 M. Aye, mill-stones, as he lesson’d us to weep.
1607. Cæsar & Pompey [Nares]. He, good gentleman, Will weep when he
hears how we are used. 1 Serj. Yes, mill-stones.
To run one’s head against a millstone (milestone, or brick wall), verb.
phr. (common).—1. To resist mulishly; to attempt impossibilities.
1837. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 129 (ed. 1857.) ‘All them old
cats will run their heads agin milestones.’
To run a milestone, verb. phr. (old dicing).—See quot. and Knap.
1714. Lucas, Gamesters, 27. He was not ignorant of knapping, which
is, striking one die dead, and let the other run a milestone.
Mill-tog (tag or twig), subs. (old).—A shirt. For synonyms see Camesa.
1821. Haggart, Life, 133. Few had either a mill-twig, toper, or
crabs.
1823. Grose, Vulgar Tongue (3rd ed.), s.v.
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lon. Poor, Vol. i. p. 231, s.v.
Mill Tag—A shirt.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1888. Temple Bar, xxiv. 536. I’ve known him to get thirty mill-togs
in one day.
Mill-wash, subs. (tailors’).—Vest canvas.
Milt, subs. (venery).—The semen; Hence, milt-market (or -shop) = the
female pudendum; to double one’s milt (old) = to ejaculate twice
without removal.
Milton, subs. (common).—An oyster.
1841. Thackeray, Comic Tales and Sketches, ii. p. 175. Mrs. Grampus
herself operated with the oyster-knife, and served the milton
morsels to the customers.
1854. Aytoun and Martin, Bon Gualtier Ballads [14th ed. (1884), p.
180]. These mute inglorious miltons are divine.
Milvader, verb. (old).—See quot.
1821. D. Haggart, Life, ‘Glossary,’ p. 172, s.v. Milvad, a blow.
Milvadering, boxing.
1823. Grose, Vulgar Tongue (3rd. ed.), s.v.
Mince, verb. (medical students’).—To dissect.
Mince-pies, subs. (rhyming).—The eyes. Also mutton-pies (q.v.).
1892. Sporting Times, 29 Oct. ‘The Rhyme of the Rusher.’ And I
smiled as I closed my two mince-pies.
1894. Chevalier, Jerusalem’s Dead, i. My mince-pies are waterin’
jes like a pump, and they’re red as a ferrit’s.
Minckins. See Minx.
Mind. See P’s and Q’s.
Mind your eye, phr. (common).—Be careful. Also (nautical) mind your
helm.
Minden Boys, subs. phr. (military).—The Twentieth Foot. [From their
bravery at Minden, 1759].
Minder, subs. (common).—A child put out to nurse.
Mine-arse. See Bandbox.
Mine-of-pleasure, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see
Monosyllable.
17[?]. Old Ballad [quoted by Burns in Merry Muses], ‘O Saw Ye my
Maggy?’ A hidden mine of pleasure.
Mine uncle. See Uncle.
Mingle-mangle, subs. (old).—A hotch-potch.
1550. Apol. of Johan Bale, fo. 25. Al thys have I wrytten afore
leaste we shulde take euyll for good, and couple sower wyth swete,
making of the a mingle-mangel, for pigges of the pope’s old puddel.
1600. Hooker, Sermons, v. 7. He cannot love the Lord Jesus with his
heart ... which can brook to see a mingle-mangle of religion and
superstition.
Minikin (or Minnikon), subs. (old).—See quots. Also as adj. =
diminutive; dainty; delicate.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Mingherlina, a daintie lasse,
a minnikin, smirking wench.
1605. Shakspeare, Lear, iii. 6, 45. Sleepest, or wakest thou, jolly
shepherd, Thy sheep be in the corn; And for one blast of thy
minikin mouth, Thy sheep shall take no harm.
1606. Dekker, Newes from Hell [Grosart (1886), ii. 146]. Tickle the
next minkin.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionary, s.v. Mignonnet. A prettie, or young
minion; a minikin.
1635. Glapthorne, Hollander, ii. 1. Surely the minikin is enamoured
of me.
1656. Muses’ Recr. [Hotten], 71. I should begin to call my strings
My cattlings, and my minikins.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 18 March. Angling with a minnikin, a gut string
varnished over, which keeps it from swelling, and is beyond any
hair for strength or smallness.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Minikin, a little man or woman;
also the smallest sort of pin.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. Minikin.... ‘What a minikin mouth she
has.’
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v., Minnikon.
Minor, subs. (Eton College).—1. A younger brother.
1864. Eton School Days, vii. ‘Let my minor pass, you fellows!’
exclaimed Horsham.