LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 04.NOV.1999 (03) [E]

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From: Roger P. G. Thijs [roger.thijs at village.uunet.be]
Subject: LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 03.NOV.1999 (06) [E]

> From: Ted.Harding at nessie.mcc.ac.uk
> Subject: LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 03.NOV.1999 (03) [E]
> Muck in, v.i. To share rations, sleeping quarters and certain duties;
> an informal method and group, this social unit of the Army was arranged
> by the men themselves and respected by N.C.O.'s; it protected and
> furthered its own interests. Military (rare outside of English units):
> 1915+.
> Mucker, n. --4. (4th entry added to the 3 in Vol 1) A friend, mate,
> pal: Army: since ca. 1917. Ex "muck in" (with ref to page of Vol 1).

De Bruyne, Soldatentaal 1914-1918, Aartrijke, 1994, ISBN 90-5364-023-1, 344
pp., gives

p. 308:
Moukère (in Paris slang):
    1. girl, woman
    2. hore
Mokke (Flemish):
    girl, girlfriend

p. 78
Mec (originally refering to soldiers from N. Africa)
"misprijzende term voor een medesoldaat, schavuit... waarschijnlijk afgeleid
van het bedevaartsoord Mekka".
I still hear "Mec" frequently for "friend" in nowadays French slang, with no
reference to North-Africa.

Regards,
Roger

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From: gavilan [gavilan at nbnet.nb.ca]
Subject: LL-L: "Etymology" LOWLANDS-L, 03.NOV.1999 (06) [E]

I checked my American Heritage Dictionary and find the following re 'muck':

muck  n.
1. A moist, sticky mixture, especially of mud and filth.
2. Moist farmyard dung; manure.
3. Dark, fertile soil containing decaying vegetable matter.
4. Something filthy or disgusting.
5. Earth, rocks, or clay excavated in mining.

‹muck tr.v. mucked, mucking, mucks.
1. To fertilize with manure or compost.
2. To make dirty with or as if with muck.
3. To remove muck or dirt from (a mine, for example).

‹phrasal verbs.

muck about. Chiefly British.
To spend time idly; putter.

muck up. Informal.
To bungle, damage, or ruin.
[Middle English muk, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse myki, dung.]

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        -+-  Bob Thiel  -+-
        gavilan at nbnet.nb.ca
    Translator: Spanish to English
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