' M '

Back Home Next


Made-up: happy, pleased
Source: LS2, DS

macing: getting goods by fraud
Source: PL

Madlad: an exuberant, high-spirited youth( an affectionate term)
Source: LS3

Mae Wests(rhyming): the breasts
Source: LS3

mag flying: children's street game
Source: A

Maggie Mae: the most notorious and most sung about of nineteenth century dockside prostitutes.
Source: LS4

Maggy Ann: margarine
Source: ML

magic sponge: name for the swab brought out to wash off an injured player
Source: GTH

magistrate: name for the player who sits on the bench waiting to be put into the game
Source: GTH

maiden: a pull out drying rack in the public wash houses.  They were great steel rods which were pushed on to clothing to help dry them, before ironing.
Sources: TWH, MV, ATHIA

maiden's water: weak beer, or spirits.  See "virgin's piddle."
Source: SL

Mairsey dopes an' dozey dopes: derisory name for Merseyside.
Source: LS2

make and mend: a period set apart for seamen to repair their clothes, and therefore a break time
Source: OED

Mam. Me mam. My mother.
Source: LS1

Mamna(Irish): Grandmother
Source: SL

Manc: a Mancunian (i.e., from Manchester)
Source: LS4

man catchers(obsolete): persons who preyed on immigrants in a city such as Liverpool
Source: MAH

Manchester Cities(rhyming): the breasts
Source: LS3

Mangle, mangler: ironing machine
Source: Shaw ML, TWH

manky(sometimes spelled mancky): rotten, very inferior. The reference is to things Mancunian, which some used to believe was derivative and second rate.
Sources: Partridge, SL

manna from hevving: bird droppings, especially those of seagulls
Source: LS2

Mannishin: woman, girl
Source: LS3

Marbles: the testicles
Source: LS3

Mard (or marred): spoiled
mard kid: a spoiled child
mardy: petulant, whining
Sources: LS1, LS2

Mare: belittling name for a woman, as in dirty mare or vicious little mare, or lazy mare
The reference may be equine, but it more probably comes from Mary
Source: LTB

mark someone's card, to : to enlighten someone
Source: LS3

Mark, a: the life of the party, always "on," always providing spontaneous entertainment
Source: ML

Marks and Spencer: reference to a couple who have been courting for a dozen years, or forever
Source: LS2

Marli horse: a white horse in a fanlight, taken to be a sign of respectability, particularly in Orange districts, because King Billy's horse was white.
Source:  ML

Marmalise: to chastise severely. Shaw writes that the word is a mixture of murder and paralyze. All no doubt sweetened by a bit of marmalade.
Source: SHAW I, LS1

Marra-smash: marrow, gotten from smashing the leg bones of animals
Source: SL,LS1

Marring: spoiling a person.  See also "mard" on this list.
Source: SL

marrowfat peas: another name for mushy peas
Source: SL, OED

Marshy Musketeers, Ther: The Salvation Army, or the Sally Anns
Source: LS2

Martin 'Enries: cheap suits. Dem's Martin Enries: These are cheap clothes
Shaw thinks that originally a Martin Henry designed workhouse suits. They are also attributed to a Victorian philanthropist who worked to get clothing to the poor.
Sources: SHAW II, LS1

Mary Ann: a woman-dominated husband
Source: ML

Mary Ellen(obsolete): generic name for a prostitute early in the last century
Source: L

mary(obsolete): another word for pot belly
Source: UF

matelot: a sailor
Source: SL, OED

Matey: congenial. Cf. unmatey, meaning the opposite. Cf. also mateyness
Source:  ML

Mayoress of Leeds style: a woman putting herself above her station.  The tradition is that this is a person who is doing everything backwards.  The Mayoress of Leeds was so very overwight that the only way she could leave the ceremonial coach was backwards.
Source: SL

me fat aunt: rubbish, something unbelievable. E.g., "That's all me fat aunt."
Source: LS2

Me feller. My man-friend; my escort(even temporary)
Source: LS1

meat wagon: vehicles such as transits or black marias or horse boxes, which carry arrested persons and police.
Source: LS4

Meff: a tramp
Source: LS4

meg: halfpenny, a small coin. In meg places means unimportant. Meg specks: the worst seats or vantage points for an event.
Sources:  GS, LS1, LS3

Meladdo. An unnamed, but known, person.
Source: LS1

Melt: a worthless person
Cow's melt or pig's melt may be the source of this word
Source: LTB

mermaid's purses: pouches containing skate eggs, often found at the water's edge.
Source: SL

Merry: drunken and with it foul-tempered and quarrelsome
Source: LS2

Mersey Funnel. De Mersey Funnel. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.
Source: LS1

Mersey Mountains, the: a high rise apartment building in Merseyside
Source: PL

Merseypropisms:  creative, usually deliberately warped coinages, which the Cockney Muse can barely compete with, as for instance:
ostrichized for ostracized
parlatic or perlatic, for paralytic
calling a drink the necktie of the gods
to be prostituted with the heat
aerated for aggravated
He's been living on her immortal earnings
They paid me a great condiment
I useter to be left handed, but now I'm ambiguous
She bought it cheap from a lady in seduced circumstances
"Distinguish dem headlights,"  said the bobby
He's hand in blouse wit dat barmaid
I went into a brassiere for me supper
Policeman on the docks asks a Scouser if he has any pornographic literature; Scouser replies that he doesn't even have a pornograph
I cudden hear the word the priest said.  The agnostics was so bad.
We still got gas, you know, but I can't find any shops selling indecent mantles
Source: SL

message, to be on: to be doing an errand
Source: LI30

meths: mentholated spirits
Source: BM

meter inspector: sardonic name for an sneak-thief who tries to gain entrance to houses by pretending that he is an official sent to read the meters
Source: LS2

Mick: an Irishman
As mad as a Mick in ther Nick: as angry as an Irishman in jail.
Source: LS2

Mickey: a pigeon. De mickeys ar lettin on de roof. The pigeons are alighting on the roof.
Source: LS1, LS2

mickey-snatcher: a person who steals pigeons
Source: LS2

Midden: sanitary dust-bin. It usually refers to the wall bin out back, unloading into the alley. In Lancashire miden refers to a heap of dung or refuse.
Sources: SHAW I, LWAT, GLD

midden-steads(obsolete): places where middens were located
Source: LLMI

midder, to: to pester
Source:GHTL

Milk feller. De milk feller. The milkman.
Source: LS1

milkie: the milkman
Source: LS2

Milkshakes: the breasts
Source: LS3

Mince Pies(rhyming): the eyes
Source: LS3

Mincer(rhyming): tie
Mince pie is the rhyming component
Source: LS3

Minesweeper: a stealer of food or drink from the tables in a public house.
Source: LS1

mingebag: scrotum, but the OED says it has also been used to refer to female genitalia.
Source: SL

Mingees: policemen
Source: LS3

Mingy: mean, penny-pinching (from mean and stingy)
Source: LS2

Mint imperial: Liverpudlian for immaterial.
Source: LS3

Mint Rocks(rhyming): socks
Source: LS3

Minty Melda, Vinegar Vera: generic, teasing references to women
Source: SL

Mischievous Night, or Mischief Night:  the night before Bonfire Night (November 5), when pranks were played everywhere with fireworks, etc.  In Lancashire, Mischief Neet was the night before the first of May, when young men used to play all sorts of frolics and practical jokes upon their sleeping neighbors, such as exchanging tradesmen's sign-boards, boring holes in rain tubs, confiscating any stray articles left our in backyards, etc.
Source: SL

miseried, to be(obsolete): to be sent to reformatory school
Sources: IHBY, A

Misery moo: a teetotaler
Source: LS2

Miss Euphoria: a cocktail of morphine and gin
Source: FSDD

mission, a: a criminal job
Source: LS4

Mitts. Me mitts. My hands.
Source: LS1

Mizzle: to flee or disappear, usually to avoid the police. In Lancashire, to mizzle means to steal away quietly.
Source: LS2

Mizzy. De Mizzy. Wavertree Park. Spiegl suggests that the word being played on here is "The Mystery," because of uncertainty of ownership before this became a municipal park. Another possibility is that "Mizzy" comes from the Maistrie or Master's Guild, possibly the Bluecoat, whose school still stands by the park. But the likely source is the Lancashire word "mizzy," which means a soft, boggy place(cf. mist). In  Lancashire, "mizzle" means to rain finely, like Scotch mist.
Sources: LS1, Moloney, GLD

mobie: a mobile shop, which came to certain neighborhoods, selling a range of sweets and convenience foods.
Source: SL

Mobile dandruff: body lice
Source: LS3

moby, a: a mobile phone
Source: SL

Mock ham sandwich: bread, margarine, mustard
Source: SL

Moey: mouth, sometimes face.
Sources:  ST, ML

Moggy. Are moggy. Our cat. In St. Helen's, moggy can refer to an insect. In certain areas of the region, it can refer to a mouse. In Scotland, it means mouse. It may be a corrupted form of "mongrel."
Sources: LS1, Schur, SL

Mojo: Methylated spirits.
Source: LS1

moke: horse, donkey, etc.
Source: LS2

Molar-mauler: a dentist
Source: LS2

moll(obsolete): girl
Source: IHBY

mongol: a mongoloid child
Source: ZCAR

monkey, a: five hundred pounds
Sources: LS1, LS3

monkey boat: a sea-going vessel which kept monkeys for mascots, rather than the traditional cats.
Source: LCS

monkey nuts: unshelled peanuts
Source: SL

Monkey 'ouse: monastery
Source: LS2

Moo, stupid: disdainful characterization of a woman
Source: SL

Moo: milk
Source: LS2

Moodies, the: doldrums, depression
Source: ANS

Moodyin. I wuz moodyin. I was wandering about thoughtfully.
Source: LS1

Mook in: help yourself(to food). Mook in, yer at yer granny's.  Also cf. "muck in" on this list.
Source: LS2

mook-cart(muck-cart): a refuse truck
Source: LS2

moonlight flit to do a: to move one's furniture and household possessions to another address in the middle of the night, to evade landlord, creditors, etc. In Lancashire, this was a "moonleet flittin."
Sources: LS2, GLD

moosh: the lower portion of the face, around the mouth.  Moosh can also refer to a prostitute's customer.
Source: LS2, SI

Mop, to: to drink, especially beer
Sources: LS2

Mopsed: half drunk, or "scalloped."
Source: ALS

mopus(obsolete): a farthing, or a small coin
Source: IHBY, A

moreish(obsolete): sleepily drunk
Source: LLMI

morgan look you: another word for a Welsh person
Source: A

Moroccan Black: cannabis resin in block form
Source: LS4

mortal sin: any form of pleasure
Source: LS2

Moses: a garrulous old man. Female equivalent: Moaning Minnie
Source: LS2

Moses basket: a container for carrying infants
Source: SL

Mother Superior: any kind of female boss
Also called: a tawny owl, Auntie Muriel, and Mrs. McNamara( the leader of the band)
Source: LS2

Mother's Milk: Guinness Stout
Source: LS2

mother's ruin(obsolete): gin
Source: A

Mountains o' Morn (rhyming): pawnbroker
Source: LS3

Mouser: moustache
Source: Shaw ST

Mouth: She gorra mouf like a parish oven, i.e.,she is rather talkative, and her talk is vituperative..
Source: LS1

mozzy: mosquito
Source: Partridge

Mrs McNamara(the leader of the band): any kind of female boss
Source: LS2

Mrs. Woman: a tautological form of address, which means just Mrs.
Source: PL

Muck in, yer at yer granny's! Bon Appetit! Sometimes the invitation is to "tuck in.Muck in also can mean to pitch in and work cooperatively.
Sources: MV, LS1

Muckman, Der muckman: the refuse collector.
Source: LS1

Mug, Ile mug yer: Allow me to treat you.
Spiegl notes the threat rather than the welcome in modern use of this word.
Source: LS1

muggin head: foolish looking
Source: GHTL

Mugs for rags: a foolish person (insult)
Source: Shaw II

mumtip(obsolete): payment to keep quiet
Source: A

Mungarly(obsolete): food, chow
Source: A

Murphia, the: The Irish Kosher Nostra (a whimsical notion)
Source: LS4

Mury Helen( Mary Ellen): a working-class Liverpool woman, usually elderly and of scruffy appearance. Once know as a "shawlie" from the Irish habit of wearing a shawl. Less frequently called a Mury Han (Mary Ann). Shaw thinks that Mary Ellen eventually became generic for a Liverpool housewife. Cf. the music hall song, "I'm shy, Mary Ellen, I'm shy..." Much earlier, however, Mary Ellen could mean a prostitute.
Sources: Shaw, Moloney

mush(obsolete): police station, lock up. To be mushed means to be brought in there
Source: A

Mush: a neutral form of address, used less frequently than "wack."
Source: LS2

Mush(or musher): now obsolete, the prostitute's name for the male customer, similar to the "John" or "the trick" in American prostitute slang. Moosh, with this meaning, is still heard in Liverpool among the police. A much older meaning of "musher," now obsolete, was seaman.
Sources: LS4, LCS

Mush. Ee's a mush. He is a stranger.
Source: LS1

Muskers: policemen
Musker in der haystack: a policeman nearby
Source:LS3

Mut 'n' Jeff, to be (rhyming): to be hard of hearing
Source: LS3

Mutton dagger: penis
Source: LS2, LS3

Muzzied: lost, bewildered
Source: LS2
 


Google