| 释义 |
▪ I. muss, n.1 Obs. exc. dial. (see E.D.D.)|mʌs|
Also 6–7 musse.
[Of obscure origin.
Cotgrave 1611 has ‘the game called musse’ as one of the senses of F. mousche (now mouche) lit. a fly. Although mouche is the name of more than one game (see Littré) the sense ‘scramble’ has not been shown to occur in Fr., and it is probable that Cotgrave's explanation was suggested merely by the similarity of sound in the Eng. word.]
A game in which small objects are thrown down to be scrambled for; a scramble. Also transf.
1591Percivall Sp. Dict., Rebatina, scrambling, a musse, a sudden skirmish. 1598Florio, Buschetta, a play at musse, as children vse. 1606Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iii. xiii. 91 When I cried hoa, Like Boyes vnto a musse, Kings would start forth, And cry, your will. 1623Middleton & Rowley Spanish Gipsy ii. (1653) C 3, They'l throw down Gold in Musses. 1678Dryden Prol. to Shadwell's True Widow 20 Bauble and cap no sooner are thrown down, But there's a muss of more than half the town. a1734North Examen ii. iv. §149 (1740) 311 All this Business was but a confused Muss of Oates and his Men falling foul upon one another.
▪ II. muss, n.2 Now dial.|mʌs|
Also 6 mus, musse.
[Perh. a. OF. muse mouth, muzzle.]
A playful word for: Mouth. (See also E.D.D.)
a1529Skelton P. Sparowe 362 Many a prety kusse Had I of his swete musse. ― Sp. Parrot 270 Now kus me, Parrot,..Goddys blessyng lyght on thy swete lyttyll mus!
▪ III. † muss, n.3 Obs.
[Perh. the same word as prec.: cf. the double sense of muskin1.]
A term of endearment.
1598Florio, Pupo, a pigsneye, a sweet-hart, a prettie musse, a daintie mop [etc.]. 1598B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. ii. iii, Sweete hart will you come in to breakfast... I pray thee (good Musse) we stay for you... What ayle you sweet hart, are you not well, speake good Musse. Ibid. v.i, Nay kisse me sweet musse.
▪ IV. muss, n.4 dial. and U.S.|mʌs|
[App. an onomatopœic alteration of mess n.
Sense 1 may belong to muss n.1; cf. quot. a 1734 under that word.]
1. A disturbance, row. Obs.
1830Constellation (N.Y.) 11/3 I've been in many a scrape before, but never such a muss! 1838N.Y. Advertiser & Express 17 Feb. 4/6 The complainant testified that there was a ‘muss’ in Chatham Street. 1840C. F. Hoffman Greyslaer I. ii. iv. 206 That's just what I told Red Wolfert when he showed signs of kicking up a muss. 1848Durivage Stray Subj. 138 You're eternally kicking up a muss with somebody. 1857Borthwick Three Yrs. California 153, I got into a ‘muss’ down at the store last night, and was whipped. 1862Lowell Biglow P. Ser. ii. iii. 61 When Satan sets himself to work to raise his very bes' muss, He scatters roun' onscriptur'l views relatin' to Ones'mus. 1864O. L. Jackson Colonel's Diary (1922) 135 We have just had quite a muss [preceding the battle of Kenesaw Mt.]. 1873‘Mark Twain’ & Warner Gilded Age 267 That gentleman delivered the young aspirant for a muss one of his elegant little left-handers. 1903A. H. Lewis Boss 19 It was nothin' but a cheap muss on the pier.
2. A state of untidiness; a muddle, mess.
1840C. F. Hoffman Greyslaer II. iii. iv. 142 All this muss is of Wat Bradshawe's cooking. 1842Spirit of Times (Philad.) 22 Jan. (Th.), I upset my table, spilt my ink, and knocked down my books, making a deuced muss. 1843L. M. Child Lett. fr. New York 129 (Bartlett) ‘My head aches’, said he; ‘they have put my mind and body both into a confounded muss’. 1870Mrs. Whitney We Girls vi. (1874) 128 That is the difference between work and muss. 1890Anthony's Photogr. Bull. III. 177 He has received many a lecture from his much enduring wife, for the awful muss which he has made. 1970Toronto Daily Star 24 Sept. 40/1 (Advt.), Here's your cartridge... Instant loading. No muss or fuss. 1972M. Mead Blackberry Winter ix. 103 The first year Miss Abbott, the head of the dormitory apartments, described us as ‘a mental and moral muss’, and we accepted this with a kind of wicked glee.
▪ V. † muss, v.1 Obs.
In 7 musse.
[ad. L. mussāre.]
intr. To mutter or murmur indistinctly.
1645E. Pagitt Heresiogr. (1661) 86 They dare not so much as whisper or as much as musse against it.
▪ VI. muss, v.2 dial. and U.S.|mʌs|
[f. muss n.4]
1. trans. To make untidy; to crumple, to ruffle; to smear, mess; to entangle, confuse. Also with up. Hence mussed ppl. a.; also mussed-up.
1837in Amer. Speech (1965) XL. 127 Wish he muss imself [sic] up well and arty. a1850Dow's Serm. I. 151 (Bartlett) See that beautiful girl [the morning after a ball]; her hair mussed and mossy, except what lies in the bureau. 1856W. T. Sherman in Century Mag. Dec. (1891) 297 The mayor,..a large, good man, but as usual so mussed up and involved in old business that he could do nothing. 1865Mrs. Whitney Gayworthys 129, I don't like bran-new things. I want my dress to be mussed a little. 1876Holland Sev. Oaks xxi. 304 O don't! Mr. Fenton; you'll muss her hair. 1888Detroit Free Press (Farmer), Neither of us got two winks of sleep during the night on the car... We reached Chicago in a mussed up condition. 1893Saltus Madam Sapphira 61 There, don't muss me up. 1902C. J. C. Hyne Mr. Horrocks Purser 57 If Boy Austen..contrived to get badly mussed up with an undesirable woman [etc.]. 1907C. E. Mulford Bar-20 v. 47, I paid twenty wheels for that [sc. a hat] eight years ago, and I don't want it mussed none. 1909Philad. Publ. Ledger 24 June 7/6 (Advt.), Lot 3..Some four hundred soiled or mussed waists, in white lawn & lingerie. 1925D. H. Lawrence Death of Porcupine 112 The really quick, Tolstoi loved to kill them off or muss them over. 1930‘R. Crompton’ William's Happy Days iii. 66 Trampling over his doorstep and ‘mussing up’ everything. 1955W. Gaddis Recognitions ii. ii. 351 The wind hit him,..mussing his hair from behind. 1973D. Westheimer Going Public ii. 28 Only a little mussed, the kid says! I'm not leaving looking like something the cat dragged in.
2. intr. To busy oneself in a confused, unmethodical, and ineffective manner. = muddle v. 6.
1876Besant & Rice Gold. Butterfly x, I might meddle and muss till I busted up the whole concern. |