| 释义 |
midden Now dial. (rarely arch.).|ˈmɪd(ə)n|
Forms: 4 medynge, myding, 4–5 myd(d)yng, 5 middynge, myddyn, 5–6 mydding, 5–9 midding, 6 myddin, 6–7 mydinge, 7 miding(e, 7–9 middin, 7– midden.
[Of Scandinavian origin: ME. myddyng corresponds to Da. mødding, altered form of møgdynge, f. møg (see muck) + dynge heap. (The ON. form would be *myki-dyngja, but dyngja in the sense of ‘heap’ has not been found.)]
1. A dunghill, manure-heap, refuse-heap.
c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xviii. (Egipciane) 468 Ay valouand me in þat syne, as sow a medynge dois vithine. Ibid. xxx. (Theodera) 615 Þe mylk of sowis has he tane, þat lay by in þe myddyng. c1420Pallad. on Husb. i. 750 The mydding, sette it wete as it may rote. c1470Henryson Mor. Fab. i. (Cock & Jasp.) iii, Pietie it war, thow suld ly in this midding. 1531Nottingham Rec. III. 367 A garden..next to the mydding. 1570Levins Manip. 134/9 A Myddin, fimarium. 1667Vestry Bks. (Surtees) 225 For takeing away the miding of ashes out of the churchyard 1s. 4d. 1718Ramsay Christ's Kirk Gr. iii. xix, The wives and gytlings a' spawn'd out O'er middings and o'er dykes. 1826E. Swinburne in J. Raine Mem. J. Hodgson (1858) II. 74 A midden is well placed on the opposite side of them. 1887Morris Odyss. x. 412 The herded kine as full-fed of grass withal They come aback to the midden [Gr. ἐς κόπρον].
b. Proverbs and allusions.
c1598D. Ferguson Scot. Prov. (1785) 4 A cock is crouse on his ain midding. 1588Churchyard Challenge (1593) 78 Much like bold Cocks that lowd on midding crowes. 1894Hall Caine Manxman vi. xiii, Any cock can crow on his own midden.
c. fig.
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 628 A fouler myddyng saw thow never nane. 1588A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 27 b, Forgiue me all my sinnes, and raise me poor creatur out of the midding. 1637–50Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 437 Alace! I see all the middin (or dunghill) of the muck of the corruption of the Kirk of Ingland comeing on upon us. 1859Kingsley Misc. (1860) II. 30 That everlasting midden which men call the world.
2. Short for kitchen midden.
[1851D. Wilson Preh. Ann. (1863) I. i. 37 True shell mounds corresponding to the Danish kitchen middens.] 1866Laing Preh. Rem. Caithn. 3 In the case of the lowest Danish middens we are carried very far back in the scale both of time and civilization.
3. attrib., as midden-fly, midden-head, midden-heap, midden-hill, midden-tike. midden cock = dunghill cock; midden creel, a basket for carrying manure; midden crow, the carrion crow; midden fowl = dunghill fowl; midden hole, a place excavated to hold a manure-heap; † midden lair Sc. = middenstead; midden mavis, a ragpicker (Jam.); † midden mount, a mound made of refuse; midden pit, a pit for holding manure; midden stance = middenstead; † midden tulȝear, one who fights over the ‘midden’, a quarrelsome person.
1818Scott Hrt. Midl. xliii, He was as uplifted as a *midden-cock upon pattens. 1865Kingsley Herew. xvii, The midden cock sole rival to the eagle!
1792Burns Willie's Wife iv, Her walie nieves like *midden-creels.
1831Montagu's Ornith. Dict. 113 Black Neb. Corby Crow... *Midden Crow.
1728Ramsay Fables xxiii. 2 A paughty Bee Observ'd a humble *midding flie.
1900H. G. Graham Soc. Life Scot. in 18th C. (1901) I. 6 The *midden-fowls feasted and nursed their broods among nettles and docks.
1768Ross Helenore (1789) 85 Wese no be heard upon the *midden head. 1823Galt Gilhaize II. x. 104 Its roots of rankness are in the midden-head of Arminianism.
1886Willock Rosetty Ends xviii. 129 Rowin' owre an' owre ane anither in the parental *midden-heap.
1564–78W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 9 Like vnto greate stinkyng mucle *medin hilles.
1785Burns Halloween xxii, She..ran thro' *midden-hole and a'.
1692in Rec. Convent. Royal Burghs Scot. (1880) IV. 571 Item, a years [rent] of the *midding lairs at the east and west ports 18 0 0.
1832–53Whistle-Binkie (Scot. Songs) Ser. i. 88 Ilk *midden-mavis, we black jaudy, A' dread and fear thee.
a1670Spalding Troub. (Bannatyne Club) I. 193 The toun of Edinburghe..raised *midden montis at Heriot's Wark.
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 8770 Þat alle þis world, þare we won yhit War noght bot als a *myddyng-pytt.
1844Stephens Bk. Farm II. 654 This is easily effected by draining the ‘*midden’ stance.
1500–20Dunbar Poems li. 14 He barkis lyk ane *midding tyk.
1535Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) III. 440 Seindill [is]..Ane *mydding tulȝear in ane battell bydar.
Add:3. A receptacle for refuse, a dustbin; also, a small recess in a backyard or basement where domestic rubbish, dustbins, etc., are kept. Sc. colloq.
1890in Cent. Dict. 1920C. Young Spon's Pract. Builders' Pocket-bk. (ed. 3) 420 Scottish building terms... Scottish: Midden..English: Dusthold. 1958C. Hanley Dancing in Streets 42 What we called middens, upper-class people described as dustbins. 1981A. Gray Lanark (1982) xii. 124 He keeked between the stems of sorrel and daisies at the midden, a three-sided brick shed where bins were kept. 1984J. Kelman Busconductor Hines ii. 79 For every 3 closes you have the 1 midden containing 6 dustbins. 1992I. Pattison More Rab C. Nesbitt Scripts 9 The ugly side of Govan. We see dogs raking through middens. 1992J. Torrington Swing Hammer Swing! viii. 60 A black one-eyed cat..stared up at me,..dumbly imploring me to tell it why there were no fishheads or meatscraps in the middens anymore. |