1709. Centlivre, Busybody, iii. 5. That unlucky dog Marplot . . . is ever doing mischief, and yet (to give him his due) he never designs it. This is some blundering adventure, wherein he thought to show his friendship, as he calls it.
1764. A. Murphy, No One's Enemy but his Own, i. You are the very sieve of your own intentions; the marplot of your own designs.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1844. Thackeray, Barry Lyndon, ch. ii. p. 32. 'You great blundering marplot—you silly beggarly brat . . . hold your tongue!'
1848. Emerson, Spiritual Laws, 'Essays,' 1 S. p. 125. If we will not be marplots with our miserable interferences, the work . . . would go on far better than now.
Marquis of Granby, subs. (common).—A
bald-head; a bladder
of lard.
Marquis of Marrowbones. See
Marrowbone.
Marriage-music, subs. (old).—See
quot.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Marriage-music, Childrens Cries.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Married, adj. (old).—Chained
or handcuffed together.—Grose
(1785).
Married on the carpet and the banns up the chimney, phr. (common).—Living as man and wife; tally (q.v.).
Married man's cotillion, subs.
phr. (venery).—Copulation. For
synonyms see Greens and Ride.
Marrow, subs. (old).—1. A partner;
an equal. Specifically (Old
Scots') a lover or spouse. Amongst
colliers = mate (q.v.).
1513. Gavin Douglas, Virgil, 183, 3. The tyme complete was for thare jornay grant: Bot sone him warnis Sibylla the sant, His trew marrow, gan schortly to him say.
1538. Lyndsay, Complaynt to the King [Laing i. 54, 307]. For every lord, as he thocht best, Brocht in ane bird to fyll the nest; To be ane wacheman to his marrow.
1578. Whetstone, I Prom. & Cassand, ii. 4. Birds of a fether, best flye together; Then like partners about your market goe; Marrowes adew: God send you fayre wether.
1580. Tusser, Husbandrie, ch. 57, st. 40, p. 134 (E.D.S.). Yet chopping and changing I cannot commend, With theefe and his marrow, for feare of ill end.
1621. Ben Jonson, Metam. Gipsies. Oh, my dear marrows! No shooting of arrows Or shafts of your wit, Each other to hit.
1630. Drayton, Muses' Elys. Nym., ii. 1459. Cleon, your doves are very dainty, Tame pigeons else are very plenty. These may win some of your marrows, I am not caught with doves and sparrows.
1677. Coles, Eng.-Lat. Dict. The gloves are not marrows; chirotheæ non sunt pares.
1728. Lindsay of Pitscottie, Hist. of Scotland, p. 78. This Cochran was so proud in his conceit, that he counted no Lords to be marrows to him.
1778. Grose, Prov. Glossary, s.v. Marrow, a fellow, or companion. Exm. This pair of gloves or shoes are not marrows, i.e. are not fellows. N.
1818. Scott, Rob. Roy, xxxv. He saw that he wasna to get Die Vernon for his marrow.
1822. Nares, Glossary, s.v. Marrow. The word is often used for things of the same kind, and (sic) of which there are two; as of shoes, gloves, stockings: also eyes, hands, feet, &c. Either from the French camerade, Angl. camrad (i.e., comrade), socius, sodalis, by an aphæresis; or from the French mari, Latin maritus in which sense the word is also taken. Thus Scot, a husband or wife is called half marrow, and such birds as keep chaste to one another are called marrows.
1852. Lloyd's Paper, 31 Oct. 'Northumberland'. Afraid to face the angry
