students immersed in Mill or Emerson, or the latest shilling dreadful?
Masherdom, subs. (common).—The
world of mashers (q.v.).
1883. Referee, 6 May, p. 7, col. 3. In the smoking-rooms of the best club, in the haunts of masherdom.
Mash-tub, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A
brewer. Hence (Fleet St.)
The Morning mash-tub = The
Morning Advertiser.
Maskin, subs. (Old Cant).—Coal.
Mason, subs. (old).—See quot.
1754. Poulter, Discov., p. 30. One who swindled farmers etc. by giving worthless notes for horses etc. bought by them. The Dealers, called masons . . . giving Notes for Money, and never to pay it.
Verb. (old).—See quot.
1754. Discoveries of John Poulter, p. 9. If we could not get any Money at the Nobb we would buy a Horse or two, and give our Notes for our Money, telling our Dealer we lived at a Town where we did not. This is called masoning.
Masonry, subs. (colloquial).—Secret
signs and passwords.
1841. Lytton, Night and Morning, Bk. iii. ch. viii. I was one of them, and know the masonry.
Mason's-mawn'd, subs. (old).—See
quot.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Mason's-mawn'd, a Sham sore above the Elbow, to counterfeit a broken Arm, by a Fall from a Scaffold, expos'd by subtil Beggers, to move Compassion, and get Money.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Massacre. See Innocents.
Masse-stapler, subs. (Old Cant).—A
rogue disguised as a woman.
Master-can (or more), subs. phr.
(Old Scots').—A chamber-pot.—Fergusson.
1776. Herd, Collection, ii. 214. She hae dung the bit fish off the brace, An' it's fallen i' the maister-can.
Master-of-the-black-art, subs.
(old).—A beggar. For synonyms
see Cadger.
Master-of-the-Mint, subs. (common).—A
gardener. Cf. Burncrust
and Corks.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Master-of-the-Rolls, subs. (common).—A
baker.
1641. H. Peacham, Worth of a Penny, in Arber's English Gamer, Vol. vi. p. 272. For a Penny, you may search among the rolls, and withal give the master good satisfaction. I mean, in a baker's basket.
c.1762. Derrick in Foster's Goldsmith, Bk. iii. ch. vi. p. 167 (5th ed.). 'No, no,' whispered Derrick, who knew him to be a wealthy baker from the city,' only for a master of the rolls.'
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1826. The Fancy, i. 123. Martin is the only baker who has appeared in Chancery Lane lately without insult; but they possess, generally, so little of the retiring modesty of their Master of the Rolls, that they deserve all they catch in that way.
English synonyms. Burncrust; doughy; dough-puncher; crumbs; fourteen-to-the-dozen.
Master-of-the-Wardrobe, subs.
phr. (old).—One who pawns his
clothes to buy liquor.—Grose
(1785).
Masterpiece, subs. (venery).—1. The
female pudendum. For synonyms
see Monosyllable.
2. (colloquial).—A culmination: the best that can be.
1715. Pennecuik, Poems (1815), 338. Call it the masterpiece of George's reign.
