Page:A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases.djvu/130

MOSSLE.—A morsel ; anything very small. At table would be said—

"Gi' I a mossle moor vat if you plaze."

The least.

"T'yent a mossle o' good axin' muh, vor I tells 'e I wunt."

MOTHER-LAA.—Mother-in-law. The "in" is similarly omitted in father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, when these titles are used, but this is rarely the case, the names being usually substituted, and "My missus' vath-er" used for "father-in-law."

MOTHER'S ZON.—Every one without exception.

"A turned every mother's zon on um out o' the house."

MOTHERY.—Covered with mildew.

MOUCH.—To eat; to pilfer.

MOUCHER.—A cat that steals provisions is called a moucher. One good at catching mice is a mouser.

MOUCHIN' ABOUT.—Prying about with intent to pilfer?

"What was 'e mouchin' about in the hen 'us vor?"

MOUGHT.—Might.

MOUSER.—A cat good at catching mice.

MOUTH.—"Down in the mouth" signifies looking depressed.

MOW—Corn or straw stacked in a barn. "The Barley Mow" is the sign board of an old Inn.

MUCH-ABOUT.—Indicates magnitude almost the same as "just about."

"Ther was much-about a lot o' rats in the whate rick as us took in to-daay."

MUCK.—A perspiration.

MUCKER.—A failure.

"A maayde a mucker on't."

To besmear with dirt.

MUCK HE-UP, or MUCK HAPE.—A heap of farm yard manure.

MUCKY.—With wet sticky dirt under foot.

• ' The ro-ads be maain mucky jus' now."

MUDDLE-YEADED.—With no power of perception, having confused ideas, very stupid.