Mug

subs. (common).—1.  The face; the mouth.

  1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, p. 166. Face. MUG.

  1818.  P. EGAN, Boxiana, ii. 41. A slight tint of the claret appeared upon both their MUGS.

  1819.  T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 21. ’Twas all Dicky with Georgy, his MUG hung so dead.

  1823.  BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v.

  1830.  W. T. MONCRIEFF, The Heart of London, ii. 1. But how’s he to disguise his MUG from the turnkey?

  1836.  M. SCOTT, The Cruise of the Midge, p. 305. ‘And you have said it with your own beautiful MUG, Benjie Brail,’ quoth Dennis Donovan.

  1836.  W. H. SMITH, The Individual, ‘The Thieves’ Chaunt.’

  1855.  THACKERAY, The Newcomes, LVI. ‘Clive has just inherited the paternal MUG.’

  1855.  Punch, xxix. p. 3.

  1857.  O. W. HOLMES, The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, iii. The smile they carry has a quiet assertion in it, such as the champion of the Heavy Weights … wears upon what he very inelegantly calls his MUG.

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

  1860.  Chambers’s Journal, xiii. 348. His face as a whole is termed his MUG.

  1877.  GREENWOOD, Dick Temple, ch. vi. Downy-looking Cove, the fair ’un…. A MUG like that ought to be worth a fortune to him.

  1883.  Referee, 1 April, p. 2, col. 4. He is a low comedian … and has an awfully funny MUG.

  1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 10. The face of a cad with the MUG of a terrier pup.

  2.  (common).—A dolt. Also, a raw, or clumsy hand. See quots. 1851 and 1879.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii. p. 203. ‘We sometimes have a greenhorn wants to go out pitching with us—a MUG, we calls them.’

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

  1879.  Autobiography of a Thief, in Macmillan’s Magazine, XL. 500. Me being a MUG at the game.

  1888.  J. RUNCIMAN, The Chequers, p. 4. Many eager souls were longing for a chance to plunder such an obvious MUG.

  1889.  The Sporting Times, 3 Aug., p. 3, col. 1. The method of plucking the MUG varies according to circumstances.

  1890.  Pall Mall Gazette, 8 Feb., p. 7, col. 1. ‘Look here,’ said another, ‘if you offer me a tip, do you suppose I’m going to be MUG enough to refuse it?’

  1891.  Morning Advertiser, 30 March. There was no doubt that these men stole the orders from the office, and that Woodman and the females had been used as what the police termed MUGS in assisting to dispose of the property.  1891.  Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 23 Jan. He was stopped by a policeman and asked who the horse belonged to, and he gave the young MUG’S name and address.

  1895.  Pall Mall Gazette, 22 Jan., p. 2, col. 2. He expects the MUG to bet on his hand and to win the wager with the last trump.

  3.  (common).—A cooling drink; a ‘cup.’

  1883.  Daily Telegraph, 2 July, p. 5, col. 3. Anglo-Indian manuals of domestic economy give the formulas for such beverages as … cool tankard, or MUG, into the composition of which beer as welt as wine or spirits enters.

  Verb. (common).—1.  To strike (or catch it) in the face.

  1821.  The Fancy, i. p. 261. Madgbury showed game, drove Abbot in a corner, but got well MUGG’D.

  1857.  DUCANGE ANGLICUS, pseud. The Vulgar Tongue, ‘The Leary Man.’

  1866.  The London Miscellany, 5 May, p. 202, 1, ‘London Revelations.’ ‘Suppose they had MUGGED you?’ ‘Done what to me?’ ‘MUGGED you. Slogged you, you know.’

  2.  (common).—To grimace.

  1762.  COLLINS, Miscellanies, p. 122.

  1857.  DICKENS, Little Dorrit, I. xx. The low comedian had ‘MUGGED’ at him in his richest manner fifty nights for a wager.

  1879.  Macmillan’s Magazine, XL. 479. He [C. J. Mathews] never MUGGED at the pit, as we once heard him warn Whiskerandos against doing in the second act of The Critic.

  3.  (common).—To rob; to swindle.

  4.  See MUG UP.

  5.  (Winchester College).—1.  To study: e.g., I MUGGED all the morning, and shall thoke this afternoon; and (2) to take pains; e.g., ‘He has MUGGED his study, and made it quite cud.’

  1866.  MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 122. The præfects would … set to work MUGGING.

  1890.  GRANT ALLEN, The Tents of Shem, xxiv. ‘Miss Knyvett,’ and he paused with his brush upturned, ‘you’re a sight too clever for me to talk to.’ ‘Not clever,’ Iris corrected; ‘only well read. I’ve MUGGED it up out of books, that’s all.’ Ibid., ii. Instead of reading her ‘Odyssey’ and her ‘Lucretius,’ and MUGGING up amusing works on conic sections.

  TO CUT MUGS, verb. phr. (theatrical).—To grimace.

  TO MUG ONESELF, verb. phr. (common).—1.  To get drunk.

  2.  (common).—To make oneself cosy or comfortable.

  TO MUG UP, verb. phr. (theatrical).—1.  To paint; to MAKE UP (q.v.).

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii. 203. He underwent the operation of MUGGING him UP with oil-color, paint, black, and not forgetting the lips, red.

  1876.  C. HINDLEY, ed. The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 193. He put on the clown’s dress, got MUGGED UP, and went into the ring.

  1882.  Chambers’s Journal, 19 Aug., p. 530. He drew a long breath and repeated his ejaculation; ‘My eye! How you do MUG UP, Charley! You might go through this town, ah! if you owed money in every shop, and I don’t believe a soul would know you.’

  1892.  MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 59. You’re MUGGED UP to rights.

  2.  (common).—To cram for examination. Also TO MUG.