Mud

subs. (old).—1.  See quots. For synonyms, see BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD.

  1714.  Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 13. MUD, a Fool, or Thick-scull Fellow.

  1748.  T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). MUD (s) … also a dull, heavy-headed fellow is called a MUD.

  1823.  BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. MUD—a stupid twaddling fellow. ‘And his name is MUD!’ ejaculated upon the conclusion of a silly oration, or of a leader in the Courier.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.

  2.  (printers’).—A non-society man; DUNG (q.v.).

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

  AS CLEAR AS MUD, phr. (common).—Very obscure. Also the reverse: as plain as may be.

  1837–40.  HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, p. 480 (ed. 1862). Well, I get her to set down and go over it all ever so slow, and explain it all AS CLEAR AS MUD, and then she says,—Now do you see, Sam, ain’t it horrid pretty?

  1890.  GRANT ALLEN, The Tents of Shem, vi. I’ll explain the whole thing to you, AS CLEAR AS MUD, in half a second.

  1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 75. CLEAR AS MUD, my dear feller.

  HIS NAME IS MUD! phr. (American political).—Said in cases of utter defeat; SENT UP SALT RIVER (q.v.).