This phrase, which is not uncommon among us, is not applied in the way which Grose gives it. We say, "he think's that he's found a mare's nest," as a sort of sarcasm on one who thinks that he has hit on a reason for a thing, or made a discovery in some matter that was mysterious or attempted to be concealed, and therefore assumes a superior wisdom. In Ker's "Essay on the Archaiology of Popular English Errors and Nursery Rhymes," he derives this saying from the Dutch, er mers nest, i.e. their but is nested, or, there is nothing in it. MASH, to smash. (Hallamshire Glossary.) Our employment of this word is confined, I think, to "beating into a confused mass," as in Tod's Johnson; as we would say, "a dish of mashed potatoes," or, "his limb was mashed," for crushed. I understand that in the interior of New England, maul is used. MAUL, a wooden hammer, used by masons. (Hallamshire Glossary.) For this, we say mallet, but use it as a verb, and say, "Ill maul him," or, "he was sadly mauled," for beat and beaten.

MAY BE, for perhaps, is common among us also. MAYING. We preserve this custom, one of great antiquity; and no feeling can be conceived more beautiful than that which leads to the fields, to pluck the early flowers of spring. It is full of a thankful joyfulness, with a veneration that has in it something sacred. MEAL-TIME. For whose use there seems no other authority than the Bible: "And Boaz said unto her, At meal-time come thou hither, and eat of the bread and

dip thy morsel in the vinegar." Our Puritan forefathers were devout and earnest readers of the Scripture, and many of their phrases are from that sacred source. Mealy-mouthed, we apply to one who has a gentle way of speaking, as distinguished from a strong. It is used in England in a similar sense.

MEANS, for property. He lives on his means. (Hallamshire Glossary.) Precisely our application. MIDDLING, for tolerably well. (Brockett.) This word is in use as far South as Pennsylvania. "How are your folks?" "Why, about middling," may be heard in the country every day. We also hear, a middling warm day, a middling high piece of ground, a middling crop, a middling good year for potatoes.

MIFF, for offence. (Britton.) To be miffed with one, is frequent in Pennsylvania. I never heard it in New England.

MIND, to remember; to be steady, or attentive. (Brockett.) In the first sense, we seldom if ever hear it, except from emigrants. In the last, or something near it, it is common enough; as, mind what you are about; if you don't mind your eye, I'll give you a licking; also, you mind the children, while I go, etc.; this use of the word I find in the Hereford Glossary. It is common among us.

MITS.

Long gloves without fingers, elsewhere called mittens. (Hallamshire Glossary.) Besides this, we mean by mits, the worsted articles worn by children in winter; they have no fingers, but inclose the hand, and are considered warmer than gloves. The long

gloves without fingers were worn in New England by those who represented the past, even in our time, and are to be seen daily among the Quakers. The word is from the French mitaines, and was first adopted into our language by Chaucer probably:

"Here is a mitaine eke, that ye may sel:

He that his hand wol put in this mitaine,

He shall have multiplying of his gaine," etc.
THE PARDONERE'S TALE.

MOBILITY. Mob. (Classical Dictionary.) This may be
sometimes seen in a newspaper, or heard in that sense.
It no doubt comes from mobilitas, fickleness.
MONTH'S MIND. We have heard this expression from
our earliest recollection, without any idea what it
meant. It now appears that it was an expression
used formerly in wills. A month's mind, or a year's
mind, meaning that at those times, once a month, or
once a year, certain solemnities were to be performed
to hold the deceased in remembrance. Shakspeare
has it in the "Two Gentlemen of Verona." A desire,
or an intention, is our only application of it; as, “I
have a month's mind to do something."

MORTAL, MORTACIOUS, mortally indeed. Grose gives these as Kentish words for very. The last two terms

I have never heard, but the first is common in New England in a sense similar, if not the same as very. One hears there, "a mortal sight of folks," for a great many people; and, I think, also, a "mortal good doctor." Tod's Johnson has another meaning, extreme, violent; as a low word, as "he was in a mortal fight;"

also, "he was mortally afeard." In this sense, it may be heard among us, with the authority, however, of Dryden.

MOST. This superlative is, as Brockett says, common in parts of England, often prefixed to another superlative; generally, however, with the indefinite article, as, "it is a most a beautifulest day;" "he is a most a handsomest man."

MUCH OF A MUCHNESS.

This phrase, for there being very little difference or choice between two things, is now used in Sussex and Hampshire, in England. We generally say, pretty much of a muchness. It is, of course, a vulgar phrase.

MUCK, moist, wet. (Lincolnshire; Grose.) I have heard, "I'm all of a muck sweat," an application not altogether peculiar. Grose says that muck, in other parts of England, means manure laid to rot, which is usually very moist; whence, wet as muck. Our use of the word comes, no doubt, from this. It is an old word, derived from the Saxon, and has been employed by Spenser, Shakspeare, and others; though we have the honor of its usefulness by a somewhat novel application.

MUGGY. Muggy weather, is misty, thick, foggy weather. (Hallamshire Glossary.) Corruptly, perhaps, we mean by muggy weather, a close, warm, and damp atmosphere, such as spring sometimes produces. Britton gives it in this sense.

MULLYGRUBS, for bad temper; ill humor, an indescribable complaint. (Brockett.) The first is no uncommon

application of the word; but whether we use it for the "indescribable complaint," it is impossible to say, not knowing what that may be; but there is a complaint, known to every human being, to which the mulligrubs is attached, in this country. It is an old word. [I should think mully was an Icelandic word, mogla, this being descriptive in either.] M'euellij 'krop's, q.e. my evil suffering is the belly. This, Mr. Ker thinks, is a good origin for mulligrubs; in English, a bellyache, and some of its consequences and accompaniments. The distressed countenance, to which the word is sometimes applied, goes with the pain and inconvenience of the disease; so, on the whole, I think we may consider ourselves indebted to the Dutch for mulligrubs. Mully may be derived from an Icelandic word, mogla, to murmur; this being descriptive and expressive of an individual in either condition, whether that of mind or body; the grubs, I do not know how to account for. Greep, is the Dutch for gripe; murmen, to murmur. Whether these words, compounded, might not make it, is worthy of considera

tion. MUMMOCK.

Though not common, is sometimes heard. Skelton has the substantive, mummocks, that I have never heard. Shakspeare has the verb, mummocked, in the same sense as heard here. Forby has the substantive in his East Anglia Dialect, and Baker in the Northamptonshire.

MUN, the mouth. (Craven Dialect.) Mr. Carr derives

it from mond, a Belgic word; or, mund, Teutonic.