1884. Field, 6 Dec. As we proceeded the machine became more of an encumbrance.
4. (old).—A cundum; a French letter (q.v.).
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
5. (American politics).—A party; a party organization.
Machiner, subs. (old coaching).—A
coach-horse.
1859. Lawrence, Sword and Gown, xi. Steady old machiners, broken for years to don the harness.
Mack, verb. (common).—See mackerel.
1887. W. E. Henley, Villon's Straight Tip, ii. Fiddle, or fence, or mace, or mack.
Mackerel, subs. (old).—1. A pander;
and (2), a bawd. [Skeat: O.
Fr. maquereau = pandar, from
Teut. source preserved in Du.,
makelaar = broker, pandar, from
Du. makelen = to procure].
1483. Caxton, Cato Magnus. Nighe his house dwellyd a maquerel or bawde.
1513. Gavin Douglas, Eneados, 'Proloug' (Book iv), (Edinburgh, 1874, ii. 170, l. 30). Sic poyd makrelles for Lucifer bene leche.
1615. Overbury, New & Choice Characters [Nares]. A maquerela, in plain English, a bawd, is an olde charcole that hath beene burnt herselfe, and therefore is able to kindle a whole greene coppice.
1630. Taylor, Wks. [Nares]. As some get their living by their tounges, as interpreters, lawyers, oratours, and flatterers; some by tayles, as maquerellaes, concubines, curtezanes, or in plaine English, whores.
c. 1633. Lady Alimony, ii. 2. The only safe way for these gamesome macquerellas is to antedate their conception before their separation.
1633. Shirley, Triumph of Peace [Nares]. After these, a maquerelle, two wenches, two wanton gamesters.
1650. Howell, Familiar Letters [Nares]. The pandar did his office, but brought him a citizen clad in damoisells apparell, so she and her maquerell were paid accordingly.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
Adj. (printers').—Smeared; blurred and indistinct.
Mackarel-back, subs. (old).—See
quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Mackarel-back, a very tall, lank Person.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Mackerel-backed, long backed.
Mad, adj. (Old English and American).—Angry;
vexed. To get
one's mad up = to get angered.
Also as verb.
1369. Chaucer, Troilus [Skeat, 1894], line 479. Ne made him thus in armes for to madde.
1593. Shakspeare, Titus And., iii. 1. 104. Had I but seen thy picture in this plight, It would have madded me. Ibid. iii. 1. 223. If the winds rage doth not the sea wax mad.
1596. Jonson, Every Man in His Humour, iv. 1. You'd mad the patient'st body in the world.
1607. Middleton, Your Five Gallants [De Vere]. They are mad; she graced me with one private minute above their fortunes.
1611. Acts XXVI. 11 [Authorised Version].—And being exceeding mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
1667. Pepys, Diary, iv. 482 [Bickers, 1875]. The King is mad at her entertaining Jermin, and she is mad at Jermin's going to marry from her, so they are all mad; and so the kingdom is governed.
1816. Pickering, Collection of Words etc., s.v. Mad, in the sense of 'angry,' is considered as a low word in this country, and at the present day is never used except in very familiar conversation.
