Hugger-mugger, subs. (colloquial).—Muddle; confusion.
1868. C. Reade, Foul Play, ch. vii. Why didn't you tell me, and I'd have tidied the room: it is all hugger-mugger, with miss a leaving.
1885. T. E. Brown, The Doctor, p. 36. And every place as neat as a pin, And couldn't stand no hugger-mugger.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 28 Oct., p. 2, c. 2. He wrote some lampoons in the papers at the time, in which he ridiculed the hugger-mugger of the prosecution.
Adv. (old).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Hugger-Mugger, Closely or by Stealth, Underboard: To eat so, that is, to Eat by one's self.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hugger-Mugger, by stealth, privately, without making an appearance; they spent their money in a hugger-mugger way.
Adj. (common).—Confused; disorderly; hap-hazard; hand-to-mouth (q.v.).
1882. Daily Telegraph, 5 Oct., p. 2, c. 2. Nor, can they be very severely blamed for this hugger-mugger, slipshod way of life.
Verb. (common).—To meet by stealth; to lay heads together.
1879. Justin McCarthy, Donna Quixote, ch. xxxii. I can see already that she won't stand much more of you and me hugger-muggering together.
In hugger-mugger, adv. phr. (old).—1. In secret.
1565. Stapleton, Fort, of the Faith, fol. 88. They should not have lurked all this while in hucker-mucker.
1588. J. Udall, Demonstration of Discipline, p. 30. (ed. Arber). The Byshop without any lawfull election, is chosen in huggermuger of the canons, or prebendaries onely, without the knowledge of the people.
1594. Nashe, Unfortunate Traveller (Grosart, Works, v., 19). Myself that am but a poore childish wel-willer of yours, with the vain thought that a man of your desert and state by a number of pesants and varlets should be so incuriously abused in hugger-mugger haue wept al my vrine upward.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden (Grosart, Works, iii., 181). Hee sent her 18 pence in hugger mugger, to pay the fiddlers.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, iv., 5. King. . . . We have done but greenly, In hugger-mugger to inter him.
1602. Dekker, Satiromastix, iii., 133 (Dodsley, Old Plays, viii., 48). One word, sir Quintilian, in hugger-mugger.
1607. Tourneur, Revenger's Trag, (Dodsley, Old Plays, 4th ed., 1875), v., i. And how quaintly he died, like a politician, in hugger-mugger.
1611. Coryat, Crud., ii., p. 251, repr. So these perhaps might sometimes have some furtive conversation in hugger mugger.
1633. Ford, T'is Pity She's a Whore, ii., 1. There is no way but to clap up a marriage in hugger-mugger.
1639-61. Rump Songs, i. [1662], 54. They brought me Gold and Plate in Huggar-Muggar.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, i., 3. Where'er th' in hugger-mugger lurk, Ill make them rue their handy-work.
1762. Churchill, The Ghost, bk. iii., line 27. It must not, as the Vulgar say, Be done in Hugger Mugger way.
1815. Mirror for Mag., p. 457. For most that most things knew, in hugger-mugger utter'd what they durst.
Hugging, subs. (common).—Garotting
(q.v.).
Hugsome, adj. (colloquial).—Carnally
attractive; Fuckable
(q.v.).
Hulk (Hulky, or Hulking Fellow),
subs. (colloquial).—A fat
person; a big lout. Generally,
'great hulk of a fellow.'
d. 1631. Drayton, The Mooncalf (Chalmers, English Poets, 1810, iv., 126). Wallowing she lay, like to a boist'rous hulk Dropsied with humours.
1698. Ward, London Spy, Pt. xiv., p. 324. Up in the Chimney Corner sat a great hulking Fellow.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th Ed.). Hulk (s.) . . . also a lazy, dronish fellow.
