subs. (colloquial).—1. A difficulty; a fiasco; a muddle. TO MAKE A MESS OF IT = to fail utterly or permanently.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, ii. 193. They make it a rule when they receive neither beer nor money from a house TO MAKE AS GREAT A MESS as possible the next time they come.
1879. W. H. THOMSON, Whitecross and the Bench, 77. Contemptuous pity due to a ‘poor devil’ who has ‘MADE A MESS’ OF IT.
c. 1884. J. W. PALMER, After His Kind, p. 91. What A MESS they MADE OF IT!
2. (Winchester College).—See quot.
1866. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 19. The Præfects’ tables in Hall were called ‘Tub, Middle, and Junior MESS’ respectively. The boys who dined at each were also so named. Any number of boys who habitually breakfasted together were so called, with some distinguishing prefix, such as Deputy’s MESS. In Chambers tea was called MESS; as was also the remains of a joint of meat. Lest the reader should make a MESS of all these different meanings, I will give a sentence in which they shall all figure, ‘Look … Junior MESS has sat down at Tub MESS, but as they will find nothing left but a MESS, they had better go down to chambers as MESS is ready.’
TO MESS ABOUT, verb. phr. (venery).—1. To take liberties; to FIRKYTOODLE (q.v.).
2. (common).—To play fast and loose; to swindle; to put off.
TO LOSE THE NUMBER OF ONE’S MESS, verb. phr. (military and nautical).—To die. For synonyms, see HOP THE TWIG.
1833. MARRYAT, Peter Simple, II. xiv. ‘I can’t say, Mr. Simple,’ said Mr. Chucks to me, in an under tone, ‘that I think well of this expedition; and I have an idea that some of us will LOSE THE NUMBER OF OUR MESS.’
1881. J. F. KEANE, Six Months in Meccah, p. 59–60. Another followed, fetching me one on the skull, that would have ‘SETTLED THE NUMBER OF MY MESS’ but for the thickness of my too attractive head-dress.
