1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1818. Egan, Boxiana, ii. 559. Then he hit him on the mummer, and on
the ropes he dropped.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Mummery-cove, subs. (old).—An actor. For synonyms see Cackling-cove.
Mumming-show, subs. (theatrical).—A travelling entertainment; a
strolling company.
1871. London Figaro, 7 Oct. A scenic artist and actor in Theatres
Royal at some goodly 3/- per week, and the same in a travelling
mumming show, sharing at the drum-head my 4d. per night.
Mummy. To beat to a mummy, verb. phr. (old).—To beat severely.
Mump, verb. (old).—1. To beg.
1624. Massinger, Parliament of Love, ii. 1. And, when she finds she
is of all forsaken, Let my lady Pride repent in vain, and mump, And
envy others’ markets.
1633. Match at Midnight, ii. 1. Remember that you do not mump, as
if you were chewing bacon.
1673. Davenant, Playhouse to Let, v. Of mumping minx would we were
fairly out.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie, in Works (1725), Bk. iv. p. 72.
Then she begins to mump and smatter.
d. 1680. Rochester, A Dream. To see it mump, and wagg its upper
lip.
1728. Bailey, English Dictionary, s.v. Mump ... to spunge upon, to
beg.
1755. Johnson, Eng. Dict. (1814), s.v. Mump. In cant language. To
go a begging.
1820. Lamb, Elia (Two Races of Men). To say no to a poor
petitionary rogue (your bastard borrower), who, by his mumping
visnomy, tells you that he expects nothing better.
1849–61. Macaulay, Hist. Eng. xix. ‘One prince came mumping to them
annually with a lamentable story about his distresses.’
1866. Temple Bar, xvii. 183. Having mumped a small shop and several
private houses.
1883. G. A. S[ala], Ill. London News, 17 Nov., p. 475, col. 3.
Although the tramp when hard pressed solicits alms or food, he is
not a mumping or professional beggar.
1887. W. E. Henley, Villon’s Straight Tip. Bonnet, or tout, or mump
and gag.