1866. Mansfield, School Life, 219. The Præfects' tables in Hall were called 'Tub, Middle, and Junior mess' respectively. The boys who dined at each were also so named. Any number of boys who habitually breakfasted together were so called, with some distinguishing prefix, such as Deputy's mess. In Chambers tea was called mess; as was also the remains of a joint of meat. Lest the reader should make a mess of all these different meanings, I will give a sentence in which they shall all figure, 'Look. . . . Junior mess has sat down at Tub mess, but as they will find nothing left but a mess, they had better go down to chambers as mess is ready.'
To MESS about, verb. phr. (venery).—1. To take liberties; to firkytoodle (q.v.).
2. (common).—To play fast and loose; to swindle; to put off.
To lose the number of one's mess, verb. phr. (military and nautical).—To die. For synonyms see Hop the twig.
1834. Marryat, Peter Simple, ch. xxxiii. 'I can't say, Mr. Simple,' said Mr. Chucks to me in an under tone, 'that I think well of this expedition; and I have an idea that some of us will lose the number of our mess.'
1881. T. F. Keane, Six Months in Meccah, p. 60. Another followed, fetching me one on the skull, that would have 'settled the number of my mess' but for the thickness of my too attractive head-dress.
Messel, subs. (old).—A partner;
an associate.
1605. London Prodigal, ii. 1. I defy thee; press scoundrells, and thy messels.
Mess-john, subs. (old).—A clergyman: in contempt. [Mass-john]. See John, sense 2.
1772. Stevens, Songs Comic and Satyrical (1788), 169. The next a mess john of rank methodist taint. Who thought like a sinner, but looked like a saint.
1785. Poems in the Buchan Dialect, ii. 42. This breeds ill wills, ye ken fu' aft, In the black coat, Till poor mass-john and the priest-craft Goes ti' the pot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Mess-john, a Scotch Presbyterian teacher or parson.
c.1786. Burns, To a Tailor. An' syne mess-john, beyond expression, Fell foul o' me.
Mess-mate, subs. (old: now recognised).—See
quot. 1785.
1772. G. A. Stevens, Songs Comic and Satyrical, 'The Storm.' Mess-mates, hear a brother sailor Sing the dangers of the sea.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Mess-mate, one who eats at the same mess, companion, or camerade.
Mesting, subs. (American thieves').—See
quot.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Mesting. Dissolving; melting.
Met, subs. (American).—A member
of the Metropolitan (or New York)
Base-Ball Club.
2. in pl. (Stock Exchange).—Metropolitan Railway Shares.
The Met, subs. phr. (London).—The Metropolitan music-hall.
Metal, subs. (common).—1. Money.
For synonyms see Actual and
Gilt.
2. See Mettle.
Metallician, subs. (obsolete racing).—A
bookmaker. [From the use
of metallic books and pencils].
1887. Lic. Vict. Gazette, 2 Dec., 359. 2. He may, like Jem Smith, have three big metallicians quarrelling for the honour of being his 'Captain.'
1887. Daily Telegraph, 12 Mar. As for the long-suffering Australian public, they are mulcted, except in the colony of Victoria, as heavily as the much-taxed metallician.
