MUTTON-WALK, the saloon at Drury Lane Theatre.
MUZZLE, to fight or thrash.
MUZZLE, the mouth.
MUZZY, intoxicated.—_Household Words_, No. 183.
MY AUNT, a water-closet, or house of office.
MY LORD, a nickname given to a hunchback.
MY TULIP, a term of endearment used by the lower orders to persons and
animals; “kim up, MY TULIP,” as the coster said to his donkey when
thrashing him with an ash stick.
MY UNCLE, the pawnbroker,—generally used when any person questions the
whereabouts of a domestic article, “Oh! only at MY UNCLE’S” is the
reply. UP THE SPOUT has the same meaning.
NAB, to catch, to seize; “NAB the rust,” to take offence.—_Ancient_,
fourteenth century.
NABOB, an Eastern prince, a retired Indian official,—hence a slang term
for a capitalist.
NAIL, to steal, or capture; “paid on the NAIL,” _i.e._, ready money;
NAILED, taken up, or caught—probably in allusion to the practice of
NAILING bad money to the counter. We say “as dead as a DOOR-NAIL;”—why?
_Shakespere_ has the expression in Henry IV.—
“_Falstaff._ What! is the old king dead?
_Pistol._ As nail in door.”
A correspondent thinks the expression is only alliterative humour, and
compares as “_Flat as a Flounder_,” “straight as a soldier,” &c.
NAM, a policeman. Evidently _back slang_.
NAMBY PAMBY, particular, over nice, effeminate. This, I think, was of
Pope’s invention, and first applied by him to the affected short-lined
verses addressed by Ambrose Phillips to Lord Carteret’s infant
children.—_See Johnson’s Life of Pope._
NAMUS, or NAMOUS, some one, _i.e._, “be off, somebody is coming.”—_Back
slang_, but general.—_See_ VAMOS.
NANNY-SHOP, a disreputable house.
NANTEE, not any, or “I have none.” _Italian_, NIENTE, nothing.—_See_
DINARLY.
NANTEE PALAVER, no conversation, _i.e._, hold your tongue.—_Lingua
Franca._—See PALAVER.
NAP, or NAB, to take, steal, or receive; “you’ll NAP it,” _i.e._,
you will catch a beating!—_North_; also _old cant_.—_Bulwer’s Paul
Clifford._