1605. London Prodigal, iii. 3. Minckins, look you do not follow me!
1635. Glapthorne, Hollander [Pearson (1874), i. 129]. Well said, minx!
1678. Butler, Hudibras [Johnson]. Some torches bore, some links, Before the proud virago minx.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Minks, a proud Flirt.
1691-2. Gentlemen's Journal, May, p. 3. 'Twas there this precious minx agreed to betray this young innocent.
1775. Sheridan, St. Patrick's Day, i. 2. Why, you little provoking minx.
Miraculous-cairn, subs. (venery).—The
female pudendum. For
synonyms see Monosyllable.
Mischief, subs. (colloquial).—1. A
vexatious person; and (2) ruin.
To go to the mischief =
to go to the bad. Hence,
what, who, or where the
mischief = what, who, or where
the hell, or the devil; to play the
mischief = to play havoc; to
disorder; with a mischief = with
a vengeance.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, i. What the mischief do you come with her? or she with you?
1630. John Taylor, Wks. [Nares]. Will in a little time make her encrease with a vengeance, and multiply with a mischiefe.
1818. S. E. Ferrier, Marriage, xv. Boys may go to the mischief, and be good for something—if girls go, they're good for nothing I know of.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, xxvii. Bide down, with a mischief to ye, bide down!
1885. Morning Post, 5 Febr. These move slowly through the camp, their centrifugal force playing the mischief, blowing everything to pieces, knocking down tents, carrying them off 100 yards, and generally causing a good deal of bad language.
1892. Tit-Bits, 17 Sept., p. 19, col. 3. 'What will our wives say when we get home?' 'Let them say what they want to; mine will tell me to go to the mischief,' responded number two.
1892. Kipling, Barrack-Room Ballads, 'Gunga Din.' You 'eathen, where the mischief 'ave you been?
3. (old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Mischief. A man loaded with mischief, i.e., a man with his wife on his back.
Misery, subs. (common).—Gin. For
synonyms see Drinks and White
Satin.
Misfit, subs. (tailors').—An awkward
man.
Mish, subs. (old).—A shirt or chemise;
cf. Camesa. [An abbreviation of
commission (q.v.)].
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. I. ch. v. p. 48 (1874), s.v.
1712. T. Shirley, Triumph of Wit, 'The Maunder's Praise of His Strowling Mort.' What though I no Togeman wear, Nor Commission, mish or Slate.
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 13, s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Mishmash, subs. (old).—See quots.
1598. Florio [Halliwell], p. 95. A chaos, a confused lump, a formelesse mass, a mish-mash.
1609. Holland, Ammianus Marcellinus [Nares]. And these are so full of their confused circumlocutions, that a man would thinke he heard Thersites with a frapling and bawling clamor to come out with a mishmash and hotchpotch of most distastfull and unsavorie stuffe.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Travels in Africa, p. 27. Their language . . . [is] a mish-mash of Arabic and Portuguese.
1755. Johnson, Eng. Dict., s.v. Mishmash. A low word. A mingle or hotch-potch.
Mish-topper, subs. (old).—A coat
or petticoat.
