1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Minauderies, foolish trickes, apish pranks, mumpings, mowings.

a1625 J. Fletcher Womans Prize iv. iv, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) 117/2 (Leave your mumping) I know you're well enough.

1672 J. Phillips Maronides v. 105 Quo she, for words there needs no pumping, I know your meaning by your mumping.

1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 183 I know your meaning, by your mumping. I know by your Motions and Gestures what you would be at.

1787 A. Shirrefs Jamie & Bess iii. i. 39 Ye may speak plainer, lass, gin ye incline, As, by your mumping, I maist guess your mind.

1832 E. Bulwer-Lytton Eugene Aram II. iv. ii. 218 She must bear to be crossed—I'd be quite sure that she might be contradicted, without mumping or storming.

1897 W. Raleigh Style 127 To insist that he also shall speak his mind is to..take from the impostor his wooden leg, to prohibit..his mumping and his canting.

1904 R. Ford Humorous Sc. Stories 2nd Ser. 27 The lassie's impatience to ken whether his meaning corresponded wi' his mumpin' or no.

1999 Daily Record (Glasgow) (Electronic ed.) 31 July What about a top league of 40 clubs!.. I guarantee there would be no mumping and moaning about promotion or relegation.

1685 S. Wesley Maggots 158 Was my Stock so low, I must for scrapps of Wit a Mumping go?

1689 C. Goodall Poems & Transl. 141 Hang sneaking! for a Feast in his best Cloaths, He to the Beggar-boys a mumping goes.

1694 P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais Pantagruel's Voy.: 4th Bk. Wks. iv. xiii He spyed Tickletoby afar off, coming home from mumping.

1816 J. Dunkin Hist. Bicester 270 The..singular custom..on the morrow after Christmas-day,..usually denominated Mumping.

1890 J. D. Roberston Gloss. Words County of Gloucester 99 On Dec. 21st (St. Thomas's Day), the old women go round to the gentry and farmers to receive presents in kind. This is called mumping, and is done by decent people who would not beg.

1970 P. Laurie Scotl. Yard x. 248 ‘Mumping’ is as old as policing. It has its pros and cons—one can look at it as a small tax.

1977 New Society 17 Feb. 328/2 Forms of corruption [of the police]..‘mumping’ (‘mooching’ in the U.S.)—accepting free meals and drinks or goods and services at a discount.

1999 Western Morning News (Electronic ed.) 22 Dec. Gone are the festive days when..the poor of the Westcountry would go a-mumping..for any humble treat they could find.

1817 T. D. Fosbroke Brit. Monachism (ed. 2) v. 74 St. Thomas's Day. On this day, called Mumping-day, the poor in Herefordshire go around the parishes, begging corn, &c.

1881 E. Sutton N. Lincs. Words in Orig. Gloss. (Eng. Dial. Soc. Publ. No. 32) 119 Mumping-day is St. Thomas's day.

1998 Western Morning News (Electronic ed.) 10 Dec. There was Mumping Day on December 21... On this shortest day of the year the poor folk of the Westcountry..begged from house to house.

1594 T. Nashe Terrors of Night sig. Eiv Aged mumping beldams.

1608 S. Rowlands Proteus in Hvmors Looking Glasse sig. C4^v Come good Proteus come away a pace, We long to see thy mumping Antique face.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Morgue,..the mumping aspect of one that would seeme grauer then he is.

a1720 J. Sheffield Wks. (1753) I. 78 Puss transform'd, sat like a mumping bride.

1797 E. Burke Lett. Peace Regic. France iii, in Wks. (1815) VIII. 274 Our embassy ‘of shreds and patches’ with all its mumping cant.

1823 C. Lamb Two Races of Men in Elia 56 To say no to a poor petitionary rogue (your bastard borrower), who, by his mumping visnomy, tells you, that he expects nothing better.

1858 J. Rayson Misc. Poems & Ballads 29 And Middlegate mumping auld Matty, That's scarce got a tuith in her head.

1870 J. R. Lowell Cathedral 44 Superannuate forms and mumping shams.

1902 W. James Varieties Relig. Experience ii The Christian also spurns the pinched and mumping sick-room attitude.

1921 R. Bridges Tapestry (1925) 17 You will live Your threescore years and ten idle and puzzle-headed As any mumping monk in his unfurnish'd cell.

1998 Herald (Glasgow) (Electronic ed.) 28 Feb. For the most mumping country in the world about how folk ruin their ball, the New Zealanders cheat like crazy in defence.

1709 E. Ward Elegy upon Gammar Bouncly in Writings IV. 176 The mumping Wretch who stroles and progs: Throws out his musty Fragments to the Dogs.

1784 in Catal. Prints: Polit. & Personal Satires (Brit. Mus.) (1938) VI. 152 (title of engraving) The Mumping Fox or Reynard Turn'd Beggar.

1797 J. O'Keefe Wicklow Mountains 6 I'm an old, merry, jolly, lying, wicked, mumpping, travelling merchant.

1816 J. Wolcot in Wks. IV. 200 Lord Grenville and his mumping wife.

1829 E. Bulwer-Lytton Disowned I. ii. 29 And wherever we rove, we feed on the cove Who gibes at the mumping crew.

1851 G. Borrow Lavengro I. v. 65 Tell the mumping villain that if he comes near my fire I'll serve him out as I will you.

1883 G. A. Sala in Illustr. London News 17 Nov. 475/3 Although the tramp when hard pressed solicits alms or food, he is not a ‘mumping’ or professional beggar.

1973 P. O'Brian HMS Surprise viii. 216 Killick Killick—where is that mumping villain?