Mum, “to keep MUM,” to hold one’s peace. Hence “MUM’S the word,”—a phrase which implies to all hearers that the matter to which it refers must remain secret.
Mummer, a performer at a travelling theatre.—Ancient. Rustic performers at Christmas in the West of England.
Mump, to beg. In Lincolnshire, Boxing-day is known as MUMPING DAY.
Mumper, a beggar. A collector of holiday tribute.
Mumps, the miserables. To feel MUMPISH is to be heavy, dull, and stupid.
Mundungus, trashy, coarse tobacco. Sometimes used to represent the half-soddened, half-calcined residuum at the bottom of an all-but-smoked-out pipe, which, when knocked out, is vulgarly called the [TOPPER], q.v. Spanish, MONDONGO, black pudding.
Mungarly, bread, food. Mung is an old word for mixed food, but MUNGARLY is doubtless derived from the Lingua Franca, MANGIAR, to eat. See the following.
Mungarly casa, a baker’s shop; evidently a corruption of a Lingua Franca phrase for an eating-house. The well-known “Nix Mangiare” stairs at Malta derive their name from the endless beggars who lie there and shout, “Nix mangiare,” i.e., “Nothing to eat,” to excite the compassion of the English who land there,—an expression which exhibits remarkably the mongrel composition of the Lingua Franca, MANGIARE being Italian, and Nix (German, NICHTS), an evident importation from Trieste, or other Austrian seaport.
Munging, or MOUNGING, whining, begging, muttering.—North.