1596. SHAKESPEARE, King John, ii. 1, line 397. Large MOUTH indeed!
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). MOUTH (S.). … also a cant word for a noisy, silly, ignorant, prating, scolding fellow.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. MOUTH. A noisy fellow. MOUTH half cocked; one gaping and staring at every thing he sees.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. MOUTH. A noisy fellow; a silly fellow.
2. (old).—See quot.
1754. POULTER, The Discoveries of John Poulter, 34. Another shall look out for a MOUTH that has a horse to sell or change.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. MOUTH. A silly fellow. A dupe. To stand MOUTH; i.e., to be duped.
1819. J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v. MOUTH, a foolish silly person; a man who does a very imprudent act, is said to be A RANK MOUTH.
3. See CHEEK.
4. (common).—The after-effects of a debauch; HOT COPPERS (q.v.).
Verb. (colloquial).—To rant.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet, iii. 2. If you MOUTH it as many of your players do.
1759. GOLDSMITH, The Citizen of the World, xxi. I hate to hear an actor MOUTHING trifles.
1871. J. R. LOWELL, My Study Windows, 180. In his pompous, MOUTHING way of saying it.
TO GIVE MOUTH, verb. phr. (common).—1. To put into words; and (2) to speak loudly and distinctly. Also MOUTH IT. It. dar la bocca.
1840. DICKENS, Barnaby Rudge, lxv. ‘What I say in respect to the speeches always is, ‘GIVE IT MOUTH.’ That’s my maxim. GIVE IT MOUTH.’
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. MOUTH IT. Speak loud.
1861. DICKENS, Our Mutual Friend, Bk. II. ch. vii. ‘I have an opinion of you, sir, to which it is not easy to GIVE MOUTH.’
1883. Daily Telegraph, 4 Sept., p. 2, col. 2. ‘Black Bess,’ they said, was nothing unless you GAVE IT MOUTH, and the two remaining verses, with the chorus, were rendered with unabated vigour.
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 42. GIVE IT MOUTH!
DOWN IN THE MOUTH, verb. phr. (common).—Dejected.
1608–11. JOSEPH HALL, Epistles, i. 6. The Roman orator was DOWN IN THE MOUTH; finding himself thus cheated by the money-changer.
1693. CONGREVE, The Old Batchelor, iv. 9. Sir. J. Witt. Now am I slap-dash DOWN IN THE MOUTH, and have not one word to say!
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, xlix. He … told the physician that he was like the root of the tongue, as being cursedly DOWN IN THE MOUTH.
1864. YATES, Broken to Harness, x. What won’t do? asked Prescott, with flaming face. Why, this Kate Mellon business, Jim. It’s on hot and strong, I know. You’ve been DOWN IN THE MOUTH all the time she was away.
1880. A. TROLLOPE, The Duke’s Children, xlvii. I’m sorry you’re so DOWN IN THE MOUTH. Why don’t you try again?
1888. BOLDREWOOD, Robbery under Arms, xxxiii. Poor Old Jim looks dreadful DOWN IN THE MOUTH.
1894. GEORGE MOORE, Esther Waters, xxx. I’m a bit DOWN IN THE MOUTH.
TO LAUGH ON THE WRONG (or OTHER) SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH (or FACE), subs. phr. (colloquial).—To cry.
1714. T. LUCAS, Memoirs of Gamesters, etc., 65. But tho’ he laugh’d, ’twas on the WRONG SIDE OF HIS MOUTH.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. LAUGH.
1823. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. LAUGH.
1826. BUCKSTONE, The Death Fetch, i. 4. Snapsch. (Aside.) And have a pretty family of them about my ears the first time I’m left alone in the dark, who would soon make me LAUGH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY MOUTH, I fancy.
1837. CARLYLE, The Diamond Necklace, iii. By and by thou wilt LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THY FACE.
MOUTH THAT SAYS NO WORDS ABOUT IT (or CANNOT BITE), subs. phr. (old).—The female pudendum.
1719. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, IV. 71. That feeds the MOUTH THAT CANNOT BITE.
