or morley, mawley, subs. (common).—1. A fist; a hand. TO TIP A MAULEY = to give a hand. FAM THE MAWLEY = shake hands.
1800. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 139. The key of the street-door in her MAULEY. Ibid., 144. When one asks the other to shake hands, that is, sling us your MAULY.
1821. P. EGAN, Life in London, 207. Learn the use of your MORLEYS.
1823. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, ii. 6. Mr. J. It was but t’other day they took’d me up; slapp’d a pick-ax into one of my MAULEYS, and shov’d a shovel into t’other, and told me to vork.
1848. E. Z. C. JUDSON (‘Ned Buntline’), The Mysteries and Miseries of New York, iv. Ello, Charley, my kid! tip us your MAWLEY.
1857. REV. E. BRADLEY (‘Cuthbert Bede’), The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green, an Oxford Freshman, pt. II. ch. iii. ‘I could n’t use my MAWLEYS no how!’ And the Pet illustrated his remark in a professional manner, by sparring at an imaginary opponent in a feeble and unscientific fashion.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
1861. M. E. BRADDON, The Trail of the Serpent, Bk. IV. ch. v. ‘Let the man as murdered your uncle keep clear of my left MAWLEY, if he wants to preserve his beauty.’
1870. London Figaro, 2 July. ‘Milling Ancient and Modern.’ We think MAWLEYS is the correct sporting term for ‘bunches of fives.’
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, i. It takes a good man to put me on my back, or stand up to me with the gloves, or the naked MAULEYS.
1888. Sporting Life, 11 Dec. Lambert ducked and the MAWLEY flew over his head.
1890. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 31 Jan. TIP US YOUR MAWLEYS, old pal!
2. (common).—A signature; handwriting; a FIST (q.v.).
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, i. 340. One of those specious but deceitful ‘fakements’ upon which the ‘swells’ (especially those who have ‘been in the service’) ‘come down with a couter’ (sovereign) if they ‘granny the MAULEY’ (perceive the signature) of a brother officer or friend.
