subs. (old: now colloquial).—1. A dripping, or oozing, mass of filth. Hence, MUCK-CHEAP = very cheap; MUCK-HEAP, or MUCK-SCUTCHEON = a foul sloven: cf. MIDDEN; MUCK-GRUBBER = a miser; MUCK-HILL = a dunghill; MUCK-SPOUT = a foul-mouthed talker; MUCK-SUCKLE = a filthy woman; MUCKY-WHITE = sallow in complexion; MUCK OF SWEAT = a violent perspiration, etc.
1766. GOLDSMITH, The Vicar of Wakefield, ix. She was all of a MUCK OF SWEAT.
2. (common).—Anything vile.
1884. W. E. HENLEY and R. L. STEVENSON, Deacon Brodie, I. iii. 1. MUCK: that’s my opinion of him.
1888. The Sportsman, 28 Nov. ‘Yuss,’ quoth somebody else, ‘and a precious little luck he’ll get a drinking sech like MUCK.’
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 28. Up to now it’s bin MUCK and no error, fit only for fishes.
1393. GOWER, Confessio Amantis, v.
| But for to pinche, and for to spare, | |
| Of worldes MUCKE to gette encres. |
1587. TURBERVILLE, Tragicall Tales (1837), 23.
| Not one in all Rauenna might compare | |
| With him for wealth, or matcht him for his MUCK. |
1592. NASHE, Summer’s Last Will [DODSLEY, Old Plays (1871), viii. 29]. St. Francis a holy saint and never had any money. It is madness to doat upon MUCK.
1603. DAVIES, Microcosmos [GROSART (1878), i. c], 70. Our MUCKE and Earthly Mammon’s continent.
1611. DAVIES, The Scourge of Folly, Wks. [GROSART, p. 21, Epig. 112[.
| He married her for MUCKE, she him for lust, | |
| The motives fowle, then fowly live they must. |
1624. MASSINGER, The Bondman, i. 3.
| Do you prize your MUCK | |
| Above your liberties. |
1655. MASSINGER, The Guardian, v. 4.
| Sev. Deliver | |
| Such coin as you are furnished with…. | |
| Dur. When we have thrown down our MUCK, | |
| What follows? | |
| Sev. Liberty, with a safe convoy, | |
| To any place you choose. |
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). MUCK (S.) … also a cant name or money hoarded up.
1754. MARTIN, English Dictionary, 2nd ed., s.v. MUCK. … pelf, which a miser scrades.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
4. (common).—A heavy fall. Also MUCKER.
5. (common).—A coarse brute.
Verb. (common).—1. To spend; and (2) to ruin.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, i. 20. He’d MUCK a thousand!
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 75. Wot MUCKS me, old man. Ibid., p. 70. I’m MUCKED, that’s a moral.
2. (racing).—See quot.
1865. Sporting Gazette, 1 April. If this letter had not already reached a considerable length, I would discourse upon the probability that to RUN A MUCK, and to GO A MUCKER, which Mr. Hotten treats as synonymous, are in reality unconnected. The meaning and derivation of to RUN A MUCK are no doubt correctly given; but to GO A MUCKER as men frequently do on the Turf, seems to be connected with muck, to clean out, and perhaps with muckinger, a pocket handkerchief.
TO GO (or RUN) A MUCK (or A MUCKER), verb. phr. (common).—To go headlong; also to be recklessly extravagant; to run AMOK (q.v.). [Stanford Dictionary. The homicidal frenzy (of a Malay), used originally in Port. forms amouca, amuco; hence, in a homicidal frenzy, furiously, viciously; metaphorically, headlong. Rare as adv. except with ‘run.’ Sometimes used as if it were the indef. art. ‘a’ with subs. ‘muck.’]
1588. T. HICKOCK, trans. The Voyage and Travaile of M. C. Frederick, fol. 13, 18. This King of Cochine … hath a great number of gentlemen which he calleth AMOCHY, and some are called Nayry; these two sorts of men esteeme not their lives any thing. They will thrust themselves forward in every danger, although they knowe they shall dye.
1613. PURCHAS, Pilgrimage [1626], ii. 557. There are also certaine people called AMORICHI, otherwise Chiani, which perceiving the end of their life approach, lay hold on their weapons … and going forth kill every man they meet with, till somebody (by killing them) make an end of their killing.
1665. R. HEAD, The English Rogue, Sig. Hhh, 458, lxxv. A great crew of Indians and Chineses … fell upon them, killing whom they could, (not directing their revenge upon any particular person, which they call A MUCK).
1678. J. PHILLIPS, trans. The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, I. II. iii. 202. Which the Java Lords seeing … cry’d A MOCCA upon the English, killing a great number of them.
1687. DRYDEN, The Hind and the Panther, iii. 1187.
| Frontless and satire-proof, he scours the streets, | |
| And runs AN INDIAN MUCK at all he meets. |
1754. SMOLLETT, The Adventures of Ferdinand, Count Fathom, l. The Malays never RUN A MUCK, but in consequence of misery and despair.
1821. DE QUINCEY, Confessions of an English Opium-eater (1823), II. 135. Brought other Malays with him worse than himself, that ran ‘A-MUCK’ at me.
1866. J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers, viii. The late MUCK which the country has been running.
TO GO A MUCK (or MUCKER), verb. phr. (common).—To go to smash. Also, to risk one’s all; TO PUT ON ONE’S SHIRT (q.v.).
1877. C. KINGSLEY, Life, 275. Only four more doing it and one receiving a MUCKER.
TO MUCK ABOUT, verb. phr. (coster).—To fondle; to MESS ABOUT (q.v.).
