FULL MOURNING, subs. phr. (pugilists’).—Two black eyes: HALF-MOURNING = one black eye or a MOUSE. Fr. œufs sur le plat; yeux au beurre noir; yeux pochés.
Adj. (old).—Bruised. Also IN MOURNING.
1708. CENTLIVRE, The Busy Body, i. 1. Mar. I would give ten guineas, I say, to be ranked in his acquaintance. But, pr’ythee, introduce me. Chas. Well on condition you’ll give us a true account how you came by that MOURNING nose, I will.
1820. REYNOLDS (‘Peter Corcoran’), The Fancy, ‘King Tims the First,’ Sc. 2. Her eyes were all sweetly IN MOURNING.
1821. P. EGAN, Anecdotes of the Turf, 67. Never again would he put the ogles of the ring IN MOURNING.
1828. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Living Picture of London, 283. To send him before his betters with his peepers IN MOURNING.
1830. S. WARREN, Diary of a Late Physician, xii. His left eye was sent INTO DEEP MOURNING, which threatened to last for some weeks.
