Make-up, subs. (theatrical).—1. The arrangement of an actor's face and dress. See to make up, sense 1. Make-up box = a box of materials—rouge, sponges, grease-paint, and the like—used in making-up.
1870. Figaro, 25 Nov. 'A Dream of the Kow.' An elderly gentleman—who is seventy if he is a day, but wishes to pass himself off for—let us be charitable and say—half his real age. Certainly, his make-up is wonderfully good.
1876. G. Eliot, Daniel Deronda, iii. The sort of professional make-up which penetrates skin, tones, and gestures, and defies all drapery.
1879. Dickens, Dict. of London, s.v. 'Private Theatricals'. For wigs and make-up the amateur may depend upon Mr. Clarkson, of Wellington-street.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 22 Feb. 'The success of the idea was prejudiced by the make-up, for though there was hideousness in the eyes, the lower part of the face of the new Caliban was anything but unprepossessing.'
1883. G. A. Sala, Echoes of the Year, 362. Her make-up was so terrifically weird and ghastly.
1889. Academy, 6 July, p. 14. Mr. Somerset, who makes up badly for the part of the father, unless it is, as it may be, very clever to suggest by make-up, a character wholly artificial etc.
1889. Globe, 11 Feb. The arrangement of paunch and limb and the make-up of the face are perfect.
1891. Sporting Life, 25 Mar. No more a type than those two comedians at the Opera Comique are—thanks to the make-up and the words they speak and warble.
2. (common).—A piece of deception; a barney (q.v.); gammon (q.v.); humbug (q.v.); a take-in (q.v.).
Make-weight, subs. (old).—1. A
small candle.—Grose (1785).
2. (old).—A short slender man.—Grose (1785).
Makings, subs. (colloquial).—1. Material
for anything.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, xxxvii. 324. He seemed to have the makings of a very nice fellow about him.
1858. Frazer's Mag., Aug., 220. Men who have in them the makings of better preachers.
1876. G. Eliot, D. Deronda, Bk. ii. ch. xvi. 'You've not the makings of a Porson in you, or a Leibnitz either.'
1885. World, 1 April, p. 18, col. 2. If I mistake not, he has the makings of a first-class steeplechaser about him.
2. (common).—(1) Profits; (2) earnings. Fr. le jus.
1892. Cassell's Saturday Jl., 21 Sept., p. 13, col. 3. Of course my makings varied considerably, and to some extent depended on the success of my particular patrons at batting in the college matches.
Malady of France, subs. phr. (old).—Syphilis.
For synonyms see Ladies'
Fever.
1599. Shakspeare, Henry V, v. 1. 87. News have I that my Nell is dead i' th' spital Of Malady of France.
Malinger, verb. (old: now recognised).—To
sham illness; to shirk
duty.
1890. Century Dict., s.v. Malinger . . . from F. malingrer, a slang word meaning 'suffer' . . . formerly applied to beggars who feigned to be sick or injured in order to excite compassion.
1895. Pall Mall Gaz., No. 9542, p. 1. 'Administering Angels.' The answer is comparatively simple: because the Shadow understands English politics, and thought to gain by malingering.
Malingerer, subs. (old: now recognised).—A
shirker under pretence
of sickness.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
