mee-mawv.
/ˈmiːmɔː/, U.S. /ˈmiˌmɔ/, /ˈmiˌmɑ/ English regional (chiefly northern).
1. transitive (in passive). Of a person: to be dressed up or wearing showy clothes or adornments. Now rare.
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1862 C. C. Robinson Dial. Leeds & Neighbourhood Gloss. 358 A factory girl is ‘memawed throo head to foit’ upon the Sunday, sporting her ear-rings, bracelets, &c.
2.
a. intransitive. To make signs or grimaces; spec. to make exaggerated movements with the mouth, esp. in order to be understood above a loud noise; to behave in an affected manner. Also with about.
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1874 ‘T. Treddlehoyle’ Bairnsla Foaks' Ann. 33 Thay begin a memawin abaht with ther pride an nonsense.
1896 ‘J. Ackworth’ Clog Shop Chron. 343 What's hoo mee-mawin abaat?
1974 P. Wright Lang. Brit. Industry viii. 71 To mee-maw is grossly to exaggerate the movements of lips and jaw when speaking, a characteristic of some workers.
1989 Trans. Yorks. Dial. Soc. lxxxviii. 43 Mee-mo, to mime, to make exaggerated mouth movements in noise.
b. transitive. To articulate (a word, etc.) silently or whisperingly by means of exaggerated movements with the mouth, esp. in order to be understood above a loud noise.
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1891 J. Baron Blegburn Dickshonary 42 Yo'd laff tell yo'd th' bally-werch iv yo' watcht th' weyver i' th' next alley but one mee-mo back ageean ‘Well, aw never!’
3. transitive. To wheedle, coax. Now rare.
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the mind > will > motivation > persuasion > persuade [verb (intransitive)] > wheedle, coax, or cajole
blandisha1340
wheedle1664
coax1706
cajole1789
carney1867
mee-maw1886
1886 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester in Eng. Dial. Dict. (at cited word) Dunna be mee-mawin me a that'ns, for get o'er me.
1887 T. Darlington Folk-speech S. Cheshire It's noo use tha mee-mawin' me a-thatta road, tha'll get nowt aït o' mey.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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