| Francis Grose - English language - 1785 - 206 pages
...HALL, alehouse where beggars are harboured. MUMBLE A SPARROW, a gambol practised at wakes and fairs, in the following manner : a cock sparrow whose wings...pecks and pinches he receives from the enraged bird. MUNS, the face, or rather the mouth, from the German word mtind, the mouth ; toute his muns, look at... | |
| James Caulfield - English language - 1793 - 312 pages
...SPARROW, a gambol praftjfed at wakes and JS. fairs, in the following manner : a cock fparrow whofej $ wings are clipped, is put into the crown of a hat,...his arms tied behind him, attempts to bite off the JV fparrovv's head, but is generally obliged to defift, by th^-^.yn many pecks and pinches he receives... | |
| Francis Grose - English language - 1811 - 244 pages
...lo'6'6. MUMBLE A SPA.HROW. A cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs, in the following manner: A goclc sparrow •whose wings are clipped, is put into the...of a hat ; a man having his arms tied behind him, attemptstobite off the sparrow's head, but is generally obliged to desist, by the many pecks and pinches... | |
| John Brand - Christian antiquities - 1841 - 356 pages
...a Sparrow — a cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs in the following manner : a cock-sparrow, whose wings are clipped, is put into the crown of a hat ; a man, having his arms tied hehind him, attempts to hite off the sparrow's head, hut is generally ohliged to desist, hy the many... | |
| Brand - Christian antiquities - 1849 - 544 pages
...Mumble a sparrow—a cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs in the following manner: a cock-sparrow, whose wings are clipped, is put into the crown of...pecks and pinches he receives from the enraged bird." 1 Or rather, perhaps, the com I. of pie-powder means the court of pedlers. See the subsequent evidences:... | |
| Archaeology - 1871 - 546 pages
...practised at wakes and fairs in the following manner : — A cock sparrow, whose wings were clipped, was put into the crown of a hat ; a man having his arms tied behind him, attempted to bite off the sparrow's head, but was generally obliged to desist by the many pecks and... | |
| Archaeology - 1871 - 542 pages
...practised at wakes and fairs in the following manner : — A cock sparrow, whose wings were clipped, was put into the crown of a hat ; a man having his arms lied behind him, attempted to bile off the sparrow's head, but was generally obliged to desist by the... | |
| Archaeology - 1871 - 546 pages
...practised at wakes and fairs in the following manner :—A cock sparrow, whose wings were clipped, was put into the crown of a hat ; a man having his arms tied behind him, attempted to bite off the sparrow's head, but was generally obliged to desist by the many pecks and... | |
| William Ernest Henley - English language - 1896 - 414 pages
...quot. 1785. GROSE, Vulg. Tongve, «.v. MUMBLE SPARROW. A cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs, in the following manner : A cock sparrow whose wings are clipped, is put into the crown of ;i hat ; a man having his arms tied behind him, attempts to bite off the sparrow's head, but is generally... | |
| James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps - English language - 1901 - 492 pages
...Suffolk. Sticky soil is said to be mumt/ly. MUMBLE-A-SPARROW. A cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs, in the following manner: A cock sparrow whose wings...pecks and pinches he receives from the enraged bird. iniMBLE-MATlNS. A Popish priest. MUM-BUDGET. A cant word implying silence. " Avoir le bee gelt, to... | |
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