Mug, subs. (common).—1. The face; the mouth.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, p. 166. Face. Mug.
1818. Egan, Boxiana, ii. 41. A slight tint of the claret appeared upon both their mugs.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib's Memorial, p. 21. 'Twas all dicky with Georgy, his mug hung so dead.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v.
1830. W. T. Moncrieff, The Heart of London, ii. 1. But how's he to disguise his mug from the turnkey?
1836. Michael Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 305. 'And you have said it with your own beautiful mug, Benjie Brail,' quoth Dennis Donovan.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, lvi. 'Clive has just inherited the paternal mug.'
1855. Punch, xxix. p. 3. Then I did the meek and lowly, Pullin' sitch a spoony mug.
1857. O. W. Holmes, Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, iii. The smile they carry has a quiet assertion in it, such as the champion of the Heavy Weights . . . wears upon what he very inelegantly calls his mug.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1860. Chamber's Journal, xiii. 348. His face as a whole is termed his mug.
1877. Greenwood, Dick Temple, Downy-looking Cove, the fair 'un; a mug like that ought to be worth a fortune to him.
1883. Referee, 1 April, p. 2, col. 4. He is a low comedian . . . and has an awfully funny mug.
1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, p. 10. The face of a cad with the mug of a terrier pup.
2. (common).—A dolt. Also, a raw, or clumsy hand. See quots. 1851 and 1879.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. & Lon. Poor, iii. p. 203. 'We sometimes have a greenhorn wants to go out pitching with us—a mug, we calls them.'
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1879. Auto. of Thief, in Macm. Mag., xl. 500. One being a mug at the game.
1888. J. Runciman, The Chequers, p. 4. Many eager souls were longing for a chance to plunder such an obvious mug.
1889. Sporting Times, 3 Aug., p. 3, col. 1. The method of plucking the mug varies according to circumstances.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Feb., p. 7, col. 1. 'Look here,' said another, 'if you offer me a tip, do you suppose I'm going to be mug enough to refuse it?'
1891. Morning Advertiser, 30 Mar. There was no doubt that these men stole the orders from the office, and that Woodman and the females had been used as what the police termed mugs in assisting to dispose of the property.
1891. Lic. Vict. Gaz., 23 Jan. He was stopped by a policeman and asked who the horse belonged to, and he gave the young mug's name and address.
1895. Pall Mall Gaz., 22 Jan., p. 2, col. 2. He expects the mug to bet on his hand and to win the wager with the last trump.
3. (common).—A cooling drink; a 'cup'.
1883. Daily Telegraph, 2 July, p. 5, col. 3. Anglo-Indian manuals of domestic economy give the formulas for such beverages as . . . cool tankard, or mug, into the composition of which beer as well as wine or spirits enters.
Verb. (common).—1. To strike (or catch it) in the face.
1821. The Fancy, i. p. 261. Madgbury showed game, drove Abbot in a corner, but got well mugg'd.
1857. Ducange Anglicus, Vulg. Tongue, 'The Leary Man.' And if you come to fibbery You must mug one or two.
