1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Maltout, a nickname . . . used by soldiers and sailors of other corps, probably a corruption of matelot . . . a sailor.
Malt-worm (-bug or -horse), subs.
(old).—A tippler; a lushington
(q.v.).
1551. Still, Gammer Gurton's Needle [Dodsley, Old Plays, ii. 21]. Then doth she trowle to me the bowle, Even as a mault-worme shold.
1586. Harrison, England, p. 202. It is incredible to say how our malt-bugs lug at this liquor.
1591. Nashe, Prognostication [Grosart, ii. 147]. If violent death take not away such consuming mault worms.
1593. Shakspeare, Comedy of Errors, iii. 1. 32. Malt-horse . . . Coxcomb, idiot!
1593. Life & Death of Jack Straw [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), v. 403]. You shall purchase the prayers of all the alewives in town, for saving a malt-worm and a customer.
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Hen. IV, ii. 1. None of these mad, mustachio, purple-hued malt-worms.
1889. Austin Dobson, Poems on Several Occasions, II. 209. 'The malt-worm's Madrigal.' [Title].
Mammet, subs. (old).—A puling
girl.
1595. Shakspeare, Romeo & Juliet, iii. 5. And then to have a wretched puling fool, A whining mammet, in her fortunes tender, To answer I'll not wed—I cannot love.
1610. Jonson, Alchemist, v. 5. 'Slight! you are a mammet! O I could touse you now.
Mammy, subs. (colloquial).—1. Mother:
an endearment.
1560. Nice Wanton [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ii. 180]. Cards, dice, kiss, clip, and so forth; All this our mammy would take in good worth.
d.1796. Burns, There Was a Lass. An' aye she wrought her mammie's wark, An' aye she sang sae merrilie.
2. (obsolete American).—A negro nurse; maumer.
Man, subs. (once literary: now vulgar).—1.
A husband; a lover:
generally 'my man'.
c.1369. Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 447. I wol nat ben untrewe for no wight, But as hire man I wol ay lyve and sterve, And nevere noon other creature serve.
d.1437. James I (of Scotland), King's Quhair, ii. 44. Quhen sall your merci rew upon your man, Quhois seruice is yet uncouth to yow?
d.1719. Addison, The Ladies' Association. In the next place, every wife ought to answer for her man.
1788. R. Galloway, Poems, p. 124. 'Twas thus he left his royal plan, If Mar'gret cou'd but want a man; But this is more than Mar'gret can.
2. (common).—The 'head' or obverse of a coin used in tossing: cf. Woman.
1828. Bee, Living Picture of London, 241. The person calling for man or 'woman'.
3. (old university).—See quot.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Man (Cambridge). Any undergraduate from fifteen to thirty. As, a man of Emanuel—a young member of Emanuel.
Verb. (venery).—To possess a woman. For synonyms see Greens and Ride.
Dead man, subs. phr. (old).—A supernumery.
1659-60. Pepys, Diary, 8 Mar. Philip Holland . . . told me to have five or six servants entered on board as dead men, and I to give them what wages I pleased, and so their pay to be mine.
Man alive! phr. (common).—A mode of salutation. Used in remonstrance or surprise.
Man of many morns, subs. phr. (Scots').—A procrastinator.
