Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Gamp, nicknames of the Morning Herald and Standard newspapers, while united under the proprietorship of Mr. Baldwin. Mrs. Gamp, a monthly nurse, was a character in Charles Dickens’s popular novel of Martin Chuzzlewit, who continually quoted an imaginary Mrs. Harris in attestation of the superiority of her qualifications, and the infallibility of her opinions; and thus afforded a parallel to the two newspapers, which appealed to each other as independent authorities, being all the while the production of the same editorial staff. See [introductory article].
Mrs. Jones, the house of office, a water-closet.
M.T., railway slang used by porters and pointsmen for empties, or empty carriages. See [Moll Thomson’s mark].
Much of a muchness, alike, very much the same thing.
Muck, to beat, or excel. “It’s no use, his luck’s dead in; he’d MUCK a thousand;” “he MUCKED me clean out,” &c. To RUN A MUCK, or GO A MUCKER, to rush headlong into certain ruin. From a certain religious frenzy, or intoxication caused by bhang, which is common among the Malays, and which now and again causes an enthusiast, kreese in hand, to dash into a crowd and devote every one he meets to death until he is himself killed, or falls from exhaustion.—Malay, AMOK, slaughter.
Muckender, or MUCKENGER, a pocket-handkerchief.—Old. Cf. [SNOTTINGER]. The original name of the “Neckinger” in Bermondsey was “the Devil’s Neck-handkerchief.” There is still a Neckinger Road and Messrs. Bevington and Sons’ tannery in Bermondsey bears the name of the Neckinger Mills.
Mucker, TO GO A, to go to grief, to ruin one’s prospects.—Oxford Univ.
Muck-out, to clean out; often applied to one utterly ruining an adversary in gambling.
Muck-snipe, one who has been “MUCKED OUT,” or beggared, at gambling. See [MUCK].
Mud-crusher, a word of contempt, used by the cavalry in reference to the infantry.