moochn.
/muːtʃ/, U.S. /mutʃ/ 1. English regional (western). A blackberry. Cf. mooch v. 2. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular types of fruit > [noun] > edible berries > blackberry
blackberryOE
brambleberryc1000
bramberry1599
brier-berry1626
ramble-berry1658
bumble-kite1685
bumbleberry1728
mooch1839
1839 G. C. Lewis Gloss. Words Herefordshire 69 In the Forest of Dean ‘to mooche blackberries’, or simply ‘to mooch’, means to pick blackberries; and blackberries have thus obtained their name of ‘mooches’.
1886 J. Britten & R. Holland Dict. Eng. Plant-names Mooches, fruit of Rubus fruticosus.
a1903 W. H. Evans in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1903) IV. 152/1 [Gloucestershire] Mooch.
2. colloquial. The action or an act of mooching; skulking, loafing, scrounging. Esp. in on the mooch.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [noun] > behaviour
lomperingc1315
truandisea1400
sleuthingc1450
slugging1532
truanting1532
lusking1579
concessation1623
lazinga1626
lounging1793
loafing1838
bumming1857
mooch1859
loaf1860
sluggarding1864
flânerie1873
slobbery1912
spine-bashing1941
slobbing1960
lepak1993
lepaking1994
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [phrase] > engaged in idling or loafing
on the mooch1859
1859 J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang 64 On the mooch, on the look out for any articles or circumstances which may be turned to a profitable account.
1867 London Herald 23 Mar. 221 (Farmer) at Moocher If..asked..what he was doing, he would have said he was on the mouch.
1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat iv. 54 You are doing a mouch round the town.
1909 ‘R. Andom’ On Tour with Troddles 152 We went for a mouch round the harbour and along the sea-front after our meal—a leisurely saunter with our pipes, you understand, to listen to the band and watch the girls.
1953 W. S. Burroughs Junkie viii. 79 Moishe..was a pretty obvious fruit and strictly on the mooch.
1993 I. Welsh Trainspotting 318 Back oan the mooch, he says to himself, as he studies his face in the mirror.
3. colloquial and regional. A slow-witted person; one who is easily taken in or swindled; a dupe, a sucker. Now chiefly U.S.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupid, foolish, or inadequate person > stupid person, dolt, blockhead > [noun]
asseOE
sotc1000
beastc1225
long-ear?a1300
stock1303
buzzard1377
mis-feelinga1382
dasarta1400
stonea1400
dasiberd14..
dottlec1400
doddypoll1401
dastardc1440
dotterel1440
dullardc1440
wantwit1449
jobardc1475
nollc1475
assheada1500
mulea1500
dull-pate15..
peak1509
dulbert?a1513
doddy-patec1525
noddypolla1529
hammer-head1532
dull-head?1534
capon1542
dolt1543
blockhead1549
cod's head1549
mome1550
grout-head1551
gander1553
skit-brains?1553
blocka1556
calfa1556
tomfool1565
dunce1567
druggard1569
cobble1570
dummel1570
Essex calf1573
jolthead1573
hardhead1576
beetle-head1577
dor-head1577
groutnoll1578
grosshead1580
thickskin1582
noddyship?1589
jobbernowl1592
beetle-brain1593
Dorbel1593
oatmeal-groat1594
loggerhead1595
block-pate1598
cittern-head1598
noddypoop1598
dorbellist1599
numps1599
dor1601
stump1602
ram-head1605
look-like-a-goose1606
ruff1606
clod1607
turf1607
asinego1609
clot-poll1609
doddiea1611
druggle1611
duncecomb1612
ox-head1613
clod-polla1616
dulman1615
jolterhead1620
bullhead1624
dunderwhelpa1625
dunderhead1630
macaroona1631
clod-patea1635
clota1637
dildo1638
clot-pate1640
stupid1640
clod-head1644
stub1644
simpletonian1652
bottle-head1654
Bœotiana1657
vappe1657
lackwit1668
cudden1673
plant-animal1673
dolt-head1679
cabbage head1682
put1688
a piece of wood1691
ouphe1694
dunderpate1697
numbskull1697
leather-head1699
nocky1699
Tom Cony1699
mopus1700
bluff-head1703
clod skull1707
dunny1709
dowf1722
stupe1722
gamphrel1729
gobbin?1746
duncehead1749
half-wit1755
thick-skull1755
jackass1756
woollen-head1756
numbhead1757
beef-head1775
granny1776
stupid-head1792
stunpolla1794
timber-head1794
wether heada1796
dummy1796
noghead1800
staumrel1802
muttonhead1803
num1807
dummkopf1809
tumphya1813
cod's head and shoulders1820
stoopid1823
thick-head1824
gype1825
stob1825
stookiea1828
woodenhead1831
ning-nong1832
log-head1834
fat-head1835
dunderheadism1836
turnip1837
mudhead1838
donkey1840
stupex1843
cabbage1844
morepork1845
lubber-head1847
slowpoke1847
stupiditarian1850
pudding-head1851
cod's head and shoulders1852
putty head1853
moke1855
mullet-head1855
pothead1855
mug1857
thick1857
boodle1862
meathead1863
missing link1863
half-baked1866
lunk1867
turnip-head1869
rummy1872
pumpkin-head1876
tattie1879
chump1883
dully1883
cretin1884
lunkhead1884
mopstick1886
dumbhead1887
peanut head1891
pie-face1891
doughbakea1895
butt-head1896
pinhead1896
cheesehead1900
nyamps1900
box head1902
bonehead1903
chickenhead1903
thickwit1904
cluck1906
boob1907
John1908
mooch1910
nitwit1910
dikkop1913
goop1914
goofus1916
rumdum1916
bone dome1917
moron1917
oik1917
jabroni1919
dumb-bell1920
knob1920
goon1921
dimwit1922
ivory dome1923
stone jug1923
dingleberry1924
gimp1924
bird brain1926
jughead1926
cloth-head1927
dumb1928
gazook1928
mouldwarp1928
ding-dong1929
stupido1929
mook1930
sparrow-brain1930
knobhead1931
dip1932
drip1932
epsilon1932
bohunkus1933
Nimrod1933
dumbass1934
zombie1936
pea-brain1938
knot-head1940
schlump1941
jarhead1942
Joe Soap1943
knuckle-head1944
nong1944
lame-brain1945
gobshite1946
rock-head1947
potato head1948
jerko1949
turkey1951
momo1953
poop-head1955
a right one1958
bam1959
nong-nong1959
dickhead1960
dumbo1960
Herbert1960
lamer1961
bampot1962
dipshit1963
bamstick1965
doofus1965
dick1966
pillock1967
zipperhead1967
dipstick1968
thickie1968
poephol1969
yo-yo1970
doof1971
cockhead1972
nully1973
thicko1976
wazzock1976
motorhead1979
mouth-breather1979
no-brainer1979
jerkwad1980
woodentop1981
dickwad1983
dough ball1983
dickweed1984
bawheid1985
numpty1985
jerkweed1988
dick-sucker1989
knob-end1989
Muppet1989
dingus1997
dicksack1999
eight ball-
1910 P. W. Joyce Eng. as we speak it in Ireland xiii. 295 A mootch is a slow stupid person.
1927 L. Bonner in Flynn's Weekly 13 Aug. 242/2 The sucker, or ‘Fall Guy’—any person who gives his money into the hands of these vampires of the financial underworld—is known to the larcenous fraternity as a ‘Mooch’.
1944 Time 13 Mar. 18 The prospect is a sucker or a mooch.
1977 D. Mamet Amer. Buffalo i. 14 She is not a good card player, Don. She is a mooch and she is a locksmith and she plays like a woman.
1996 D. McCumber Playing off Rail 174 I'm going to pick out the worst mooch in the place and lose to him.
4. slang (chiefly U.S.). A beggar, a scrounger; = moocher n. 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > acquisition > [noun] > one who obtains or acquires > by irregular means
motha1387
sorner1449
sucker?a1513
prowler1519
miligant1568
parasite1821
dog robber1832
ear-biter1855
moocher1857
schnorrer1875
toucher1896
scunge1900
scrounger1909
mooch1914
hum1919
hummer1919
hot-stuffer1929
scrounge1937
joyrider1990
1914 L. E. Jackson & C. R. Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Slang 60 Mooch,..current amongst beggars. A mendicant, an alms solicitor.
1927 Bulletin 22 Oct. 6/2 The poor he said, had no worse enemy than the ‘mooch’ and no greater opponent than the fellow who sponged.
1953 W. S. Burroughs Junkie xiv. 144 Cash was a junk mooch on wheels. He made it difficult to refuse.
1990 J. Berger Lilac & Flag (1992) 153 His hair needed cutting. He looked like a mooch.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
moochv.
/muːtʃ/, U.S. /mutʃ/ Chiefly colloquial.† 1. intransitive. To be miserly; to be a hoarder. Also transitive: to hoard. Cf. mitch v. 3b. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > supply > storage > store [verb (transitive)] > hoard
hoardc1000
cofferc1394
moocha1400
sparec1400
muckera1425
hive1574
pose1866
a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) 6231 Auaryce ryche and harde ys a þefe, a mokerad, whan he muccheþ pryuyly Þat many man myȝt lyue by.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1897–1973) 385 The pennys thai powchid, and held thaym still; The negons [i.e. misers, niggards] thai mowchid.
2. † b. transitive and intransitive. English regional. To pick (blackberries). Obsolete.
a. intransitive. To play truant from school; esp. (English regional) to play truant in order to pick blackberries. Also in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > absence > be absent [verb (intransitive)] > be absent without leave
mitch1580
truant1580
mooch1622
meech1624
to play truant1887
society > education > learning > learner > [verb (intransitive)] > to play truant
to play truant1560
mitch1580
mooch1622
to trig it1796
plunk1808
minch1836
wag1847
to play hookey1848
to hop the wag1861
to play (the) wag1861
to hook Jack1877
to bag school1934
to go on the hop1959
1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 289 Wee..runne a-mouching eyther to our Aunts house, or our grandfathers, where wee are made much of.
1648 Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer No. 286 1160 There were indeed some Ships discovered at Sea, which were no other then a squadron of the Land Admiralls conducting home some of the Revolted Ships, who had be a mooching in Holland.
1655 tr. C. Sorel Comical Hist. Francion vi. 9 The Eagle more mindfull of Prey than Honour, did one day mootch from the Thunder which lame Vulcan had made..for Almighty Iupiter.
1787 F. Grose Provinc. Gloss. Mooch, to play the truant.
1873 F. Kilvert Diary 12 July (1944) 220 When the child had mouched from school last Monday..she had whipped him.
1887 F. T. Havergal Herefordshire Words 23 ‘Where is ——?’ ‘Oh, he's gone mouching.’
a1903 S. K. Craven in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1903) IV. 152/1 [W. Yorkshire] My lad's been mouching again.
1931 J. M. Byrnes Paths to Yesterday 161 When I ‘mooched’ from Tom Foster, and hid many mornings.
1970 P. Janes House of Hate 178 ‘Why haven't that youngster been goin' to Sunday School?’ the old man demanded... ‘I didn't really know he was moochin',’ said Mom.
1996 F. McCourt Angela's Ashes vi. 163 He once ran away from home and slept in a ditch with four goats and that's worse than mooching from school half a day anytime.
ΚΠ
1839 G. C. Lewis Gloss. Words Herefordshire 69 In the Forest of Dean ‘to mooche blackberries’, or simply ‘to mooch’, means to pick blackberries.
3.
a. intransitive. To loaf, to skulk, to sneak. Now esp.: to loiter aimlessly; to dawdle in a bored or listless manner; to slouch. Frequently with about, along, around, off.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > walking > walk upon or tread [verb (transitive)] > tread in a leisurely or careless manner
mooch1851
slouch1861
saunter1970
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > be slothful or lazy [verb (intransitive)] > idle or loaf
luskc1330
lubber1530
to play the truant, -s1560
lazea1592
lazy1612
meecha1625
lounge1671
saunter1672
sloungea1682
slive1707
soss1711
lolpoop1722
muzz1758
shack1787
hulkc1793
creolize1802
maroon1808
shackle1809
sidle1828
slinge1834
sossle1837
loaf1838
mike1838
to sit around1844
hawm1847
wanton1847
sozzle1848
mooch1851
slosh1854
bum1857
flane1876
slummock1877
dead-beat1881
to lop about1881
scow1901
scowbank1901
stall1916
doss1937
plotz1941
lig1960
loon1969
1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 424/1 These hedge fellows are slow and dull; they go mouching along as if they were croaking themselves.
1882 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. at Moach 'E's no good, 'e does nuthin' but moach about from mornin' tell neet.
1883 Ogilvie's Imperial Dict. (new ed.) Mouch, to live a sort of semi-vagabond life, selling water-cresses and other wild produce, and without a fixed place of abode.
1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat vii. 96 All the inhabitants..come and mouch round the lock with their dogs, and flirt, and smoke.
1908 A. Bennett Human Machine viii. 54 The baby will infallibly whimper, and the dog will infallibly mouch off.
1948 P. Kavanagh Tarry Flynn v. 111 There was Joe Finnegan still mooching around like a man who had lost a shilling in the grass.
1966 ‘J. Hackston’ Father clears Out 49 They both stood up,..and mooched off down the back.
1985 M. Gee Light Years i. 332 She mooched in a dressing-gown.
b. intransitive. In extended use.
ΚΠ
1881 Daily Tel. 20 Oct. 8/2 They found the vessel able to do little more than drift. After mooching along in barge-fashion awhile, they sighted a steamer.
1915 C. J. Dennis Songs Sentimental Bloke 114 A son, to bear me name when I am gone... Livin' an' lovin'—so life mooches on.
1984 A. Carter Nights at Circus i. i. 17 A projectile cannot mooch along its trajectory; if it slackens speed in mid-air, down it falls.
4. slang.
a. intransitive. To sponge on or off a person; to go about scrounging.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > acquisition > obtain or acquire [verb (intransitive)] > by irregular means
sornc1575
boba1668
scunge1846
mooch1857
scrounge1909
1857 ‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 13 Mouch, v., to go about sponging on your friends.
1889 A. Barrère & C. G. Leland Dict. Slang Mooch, to sponge, to slink away and allow others to pay for your entertainment.
1975 D. Ramsay Descent into Dark ii. 69 I mooch these days because I've given it [sc. smoking] up.
1991 S. Phillips Hot Shot i. xi. 166 I'm mooching off you all the time.
b. transitive. To scrounge, cadge (money, food, goods, etc.); to beg (a person) for something; to work (a place) by begging or scrounging.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > acquisition > obtain or acquire [verb (transitive)] > obtain or acquire in a certain way > by irregular means
miswinc1400
sorn1563
shirk1635
sponge1676
whizzle1787
mooch1865
honeyfuggle1905
hot-stuff1914
scrounge1917
hum1918
ponce1938
organize1941
bludge1944
1865 Leaves from Diary Celebrated Burglar 108/2 As for his ‘lush’, that was mooched from others in the different ‘lush drums’ frequented by the ‘cross’.
1914 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 4 Apr. 10/2 And State Street, Chicago, 60. He sure mooched that stem. No nickels. Dimes, buddie... He can beg coin.
1931 ‘D. Stiff’ Milk & Honey Route iii. 33 Loan your safety razor to a bum and he will mooch you for half your blades.
1953 W. S. Burroughs Junkie xiv. 144 He would mooch junk off Old Ike, who couldn't turn down anyone sick.
1989 Observer 18 June 19/7 Its [sc. a catamaran's] mast rears up like a giant spatula and a couple of the smaller entrants could mooch a lift on its balestron.
5. transitive. To pilfer, to steal. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > petty theft or pilfering > pilfer [verb (transitive)]
mitcha1393
pelfa1400
purloinc1475
prowl?1529
finger1530
pilfer1532
lurchc1565
filch1567
filch1574
proloyne1581
nim1606
hook1615
truff1718
snaffle1725
crib1735
pettifog1759
magg1762
niffle1785
cabbage1793
weed1811
nibble1819
cab1825
smouch1826
snuga1859
mooch1862
attract1891
souvenir1897
rat1906
snipe1909
promote1918
salvage1918
smooch1941
1862 A. Halliday in H. Mayhew London Labour (new ed.) Extra vol. 418/2 I don't mean to say that if I see anything laying about handy that I don't mouch it (i.e. steal it).
1880 R. Jefferies Hodge & Masters II. 178 To mouch a good armful of fresh-cut clover.
1888 Daily Tel. 27 Nov. 5/2 They..would hotly assert that they never mouched a penny from anybody.
6. intransitive. English regional. To clear off, depart swiftly. Also in imperative: ‘get lost!’, ‘scram!’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going away > go away [verb (intransitive)] > go away suddenly or hastily
fleec825
runOE
swervea1225
biwevec1275
skip1338
streekc1380
warpa1400
yerna1400
smoltc1400
stepc1460
to flee (one's) touch?1515
skirr1548
rubc1550
to make awaya1566
lope1575
scuddle1577
scoura1592
to take the start1600
to walk off1604
to break awaya1616
to make off1652
to fly off1667
scuttle1681
whew1684
scamper1687
whistle off1689
brush1699
to buy a brush1699
to take (its, etc.) wing1704
decamp1751
to take (a) French leave1751
morris1765
to rush off1794
to hop the twig1797
to run along1803
scoot1805
to take off1815
speela1818
to cut (also make, take) one's lucky1821
to make (take) tracks (for)1824
absquatulize1829
mosey1829
absquatulate1830
put1834
streak1834
vamoose1834
to put out1835
cut1836
stump it1841
scratch1843
scarper1846
to vamoose the ranch1847
hook1851
shoo1851
slide1859
to cut and run1861
get1861
skedaddle1862
bolt1864
cheese it1866
to do a bunkc1870
to wake snakes1872
bunk1877
nit1882
to pull one's freight1884
fooster1892
to get the (also to) hell out (of)1892
smoke1893
mooch1899
to fly the coop1901
skyhoot1901
shemozzle1902
to light a shuck1905
to beat it1906
pooter1907
to take a run-out powder1909
blow1912
to buzz off1914
to hop it1914
skate1915
beetle1919
scram1928
amscray1931
boogie1940
skidoo1949
bug1950
do a flit1952
to do a scarper1958
to hit, split or take the breeze1959
to do a runner1980
to be (also get, go) ghost1986
1899 ‘J. Flynt’ Tramping with Tramps iv. 384 A dunno how the word come to me, but I yapped it in his phiz: ‘Y'ole Galway, you, yer an ole hypocrite’; 'n' then I mooched.
a1903 G. Ostler in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1903) IV. 152/1 [Oxfordshire] Now then, mooch! and don't let me catch you here again.
1906 E. Dyson Fact'ry 'Ands xviii. 249 Some one..hid [a cheese] on ther top iv ther wall, till er good charnce come t' mooch with it.
1959 I. Opie & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolchildren x. 193 Juvenile language is well stocked..with expressions inviting a person's departure, for instance:..hook it, make yourself scarce, mooch (Liverpool).
7. intransitive. U.S. (western) and Canadian. To fish by means of mooching (see mooching n. 2). Also transitive: to use (a particular bait) for mooching. Cf. troll v. 13(c).
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [verb (intransitive)] > fish using bait
rove1661
ledger1688
trail1857
squida1859
spin1863
chum1882
mooch1947
nymph1982
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [verb (transitive)] > bait a hook > catch fish with specific bait
spoon1888
mooch1947
1947 C. Haury in H. W. Howard Salmon Fishing on Puget Sound 86 To mooch in a given area successfully it is necessary to fish it often and do a lot of experimenting to find how deep it is.
1961 Vancouver Sun 17 Aug. 23/3 Most anglers troll, rather than mooch or strip-cast with light, sporty but riskier tackle.
1980 D. Nuttall Mooching i. 15 Those who have been mooching unsuccessfully frequently remove their leader and weights and put on a two-ounce sliding weight.
2000 Toronto Star (Electronic ed.) 8 July Although I've witnessed our Ontario spoons fish rings around the cut baits ‘mooched’ by B.C. anglers, there are days when it's more effective than hardware.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1839v.a1400