1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Minor clergy, subs. phr. (old).—Young chimney-sweeps.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
Mint, subs. (Old Cant).—Money: also mint-sauce or mint-drops.
c. 1420. Palladius, Husbondrie [E. E. T. S.], p. 99. Thees if me
spende, or mynt for them receyve.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65, s.v.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all p. 39 (H. Club’s Repr. 1874), s.v.
1621. Jonson, Metam. Gipsies. Strike fair at some jewel, That mint
may accrue well.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. I. ch. v. p. 50 (1874), s.v.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1828. Egan, Finish to Tom and Jerry, 53. I not only hope that he
gets lots of mint-sauce, etc.
1867. Jas. Greenwood, Unsent. Journeys, xxx. 230. The requisite
mint sauce (as that horribly vulgar and slangy B. P. terms money).
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. .... When the Hon. T. H. Benton, of
Missouri, put his whole strength forward on the floor of Congress
and through the press to introduce a gold currency, he accidentally
called the latter mint-drops.
Adv. (colloquial).—Plenty of money.—Lex. Bal. (1811); Matsell (1859).
Also a mint of money = a big sum.—Grose.
Minx, subs. (old).—1. A woman: in contempt; and (2) a harlot. Also
minckins.
d. 1593. Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, vi. What are you, Mistress Minx.
1597–8. Haughton, A Woman will have her Will [Dodsley, Old Plays
(1874), x. 509]. How now, you unreverent minx.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Magalda, a queane, a harlot,
a strumpet, an old trot, a trull or minxe, a gixie.
b. 1600. Grim the Collier etc. [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), viii.
436]. Come hither, minx!
1602. Shakspeare, Othello, iii. 3, 475. Lewd minx! Come, go with me
apart.
1605. London Prodigal, iii. 3. Minckins, look you do not follow me!
1635. Glapthorne, Hollander [Pearson (1874), i. 129]. Well said,
minx!
1678. Butler, Hudibras [Johnson]. Some torches bore, some links,
Before the proud virago minx.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Minks, a proud Flirt.
1691–2. Gentlemen’s Journal, May, p. 3. ’Twas there this precious
minx agreed to betray this young innocent.
1775. Sheridan, St. Patrick’s Day, i. 2. Why, you little provoking
minx.
Miraculous-cairn, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms see
Monosyllable.
Mischief, subs. (colloquial).—1. A vexatious person; and (2) ruin. To
go to the mischief = to go to the bad. Hence, what, who, or where the
mischief = what, who, or where the hell, or the devil; to play the
mischief = to play havoc; to disorder; with a mischief = with a
vengeance.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, i. What the mischief do you come
with her? or she with you?
1630. John Taylor, Wks. [Nares]. Will in a little time make her
encrease with a vengeance, and multiply with a mischiefe.
1818. S. E. Ferrier, Marriage, xv. Boys may go to the mischief, and
be good for something—if girls go, they’re good for nothing I know
of.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, xxvii. Bide down, with a mischief
to ye, bide down!
1885. Morning Post, 5 Febr. These move slowly through the camp,
their centrifugal force playing the mischief, blowing everything to
pieces, knocking down tents, carrying them off 100 yards, and
generally causing a good deal of bad language.
1892. Tit-Bits, 17 Sept., p. 19, col. 3. ‘What will our wives say
when we get home?’ ‘Let them say what they want to; mine will tell
me to go to the mischief,’ responded number two.
1892. Kipling, Barrack-Room Ballads, ‘Gunga Din.’ You ’eathen,
where the mischief ’ave you been?