Jack. - Horntip

Mercury-women. 302 Merry.
MERCURY- WOMEN, subs. (old).-See
quot.
1690. B. E., Diet. Cant. Crew,
S.V. MERCURY WOMEN, Wholesale Newssellers
who retail to the Hawkers.
1725. New Cant. Diet., s.v.
MERIDIAN, subs. (old).-Refreshment
taken at noon. ANTE-MERI-
DIAN = a morning dram : POST-
MERIDIAN = an appetizer before
dinner.
1818. SCOTT, Heart of Midlothian,
iv. Plumdamas joined the other two
gentlemen in drinking their MERIDIAN (a
bumper-dram of brandy).
M ERKIN, subs. (old).-i. See quots.
1736 and 1796.
1620. PERCY, Folio MS., p. 508. A
health to all Ladyes that neuer used
MERKIN.
16[?]. JoNsoN, A Song of the Moon
[CUNNINGHAM and BELL (1870, iii. 465].
The moon commends her to the merry
beards in hall . . . Morts and MIRKINS that
wag all, Tough, foul, or tender.
1647-80. ROCHESTER, To the Author
of a Play called Sodom'. Or wear
some stinking MERKIN for a beard.
167[?]. COTTON, Voyage to Ireland,
iii. 26. By these the true colour one
can no more know Than by mouseskins
above-stairs the MERKIN below.
1688. RANDAL HOLME, Academy
of Armoury, 389. Some term it . . .
MERKIN when set about the lower
parts.
1720. PHILLIPS, New World of
Words, s.v.
1724. E. CoLEs, Eng. Diet., MERKIN
(f. la mere, matrix) tubes (eminentia)
mzzlieris.
1736. BAILY, Engl. Did., S.V.
MERKIN . . . . counterfeit hair for the
privities of women.
1796. GROSE, Vulg. Tongue (3rd
ed.), s.v. MERKIN, counterfeit hair for
the private parts of a woman.
1873. HOTTEN, Slang Diet., s.v.
1890. BARR1RE and LELAND, Slang,
yargon, and Cant, s.v.
2. (obsolete).-Fur.
1678. CoTToN, Virgil Traveshe,
in Wks. (1725), Bk. iv. p. 90. Upon
his back he had a Jerkin Lin'd through,
and through with sable MERKIN.
3. (vencry).-The female pudendunz.
For synonyms see Mo-
NOSYLLABLE.
1656. R. FLETCHER, Martial?. Why
dost thou reach thy MERKIN now half dust?
1661. Merry Drollery, A Puritan'
[EEswowrx (1876), p. 196]. Her
zeal was in a sound. He edified her
MERKIN Upside down.
1719. A. SMITH, Higwaymen,
6. A strange whim. . . which was to get
the hairy circle of her MERKIN. This he
dried well, and combed out.
4. (American thieves').-Hair
dye.
1859. MATSELL, Vocabulum, s.v.
MERMAID, subs. (old).-A strumpet.
For synonyms see BARRACK-HACK
and TART.
1599. MIDDLETON, ROWLEY, and
MASSINGER, Old Law, iv. x. What, a
MERMAID? No, but a maid.
MERRY (or M ERRY-ARSED), adj.
(venery).-Wanton. Hence, ATER-
RY-ARSED CHRISTIAN = a whore
(GRosE, 1823) ; MERRY-BEGOT
(q.v.); MERRY-BIT = a willing
wench ; MERRY-MAKER = the
penis ; MERRY-LEGS = a LIGHT-
SKIRTS (q.v.) or QUICUNQUE-VULT
(q.v.).
1610. BEALTMONT and FLETCHER,
Maid's Tragedy, iii. i. Di,t.h. What
odds, he has not my sister's maidenhead
to-night ? She's MERRY enough of
herself; she needs no tickling.
c.1800. BURNS, The Merry Muses
of Caledonia [In title, and fiassim].
1887. HENLEY, Book of Verses,
Ballade of a Toyokuni Colour-Print'
When MERRY maids in Miyako.