mivvy

English

Etymology 1

Noun

mivvy (plural mivvies) (obsolete, slang)

1. A landlady; a woman who is the owner or manager of a guesthouse.
2. (derogatory) An (old) woman. [from 19th c.]
   • 1885 June 6, “Quitting the Course”, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume 88, number 2291, page 273:

     Yah booh! Chuck ’em here, you old mivvy. I’ll cop ’em.

   • 1987, Samantha Harte, Vanity Blade, Paperjacks, page 82:

     Vanity stepped out and grabbed up her dressing gown. "I don’t care what people think! I’m not any of those names you call me. And ke is my papa... you... you... black-hearted mivvy!" Vanity shuddered with satisfaction. She had no idea what a mivvy was, save that it had been Belle’s foulest name for a woman.

   • 1888 September 29, 'Arry, “'Arry on Marriage”, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume 95, page 156:

     “Is Marriage a failure ?” old mivvies are asking.

   • 1896 March 7, Hansom Jack, “Cabby; or, Reminiscences of the Rank and the Road”, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume CX, No. XIV, page 112:

     Drav a old mivvy to chapel larst Sanday, two mile and ten yard, and she tipped me—a shillin!

   • 1898, Arthur M. Binstead, chapter XI, in A Pink 'Un and a Pelican, London: Bliss Sands & Co., page 224:

     A perfect storm of yells follow. Cries of " J'yer, Jack, what'er yer done with yer bloomin' mivvy ? " " Brass up. Jack." " 'As yer old Dutch been a-gettin' of 'er daisies out again ? " and similar interrogatories ; but the voice of J. Hoop is silent.

3. A skillful, smart, adept person.
   • 1906, Edwin William Pugh, The Spoilers, London: George Newnes Ltd, page 162:

     " 'E does all the plannin' an' that, y'know," said Marketer, awkwardly. " He's a mivvy at makin' things easy."

   • 1922, Sydney Alexander Moseley, “The "Flashboy"” (chapter VII), in The Much Chosen Race!, London: Stanley Paul & Co., page 60:

     The Jewish flashboy is " the goods. " He is a lad, a " mivvy," a man about town, a " one " with the girls, a " kernel."

Etymology 2

Noun

mivvy (plural mivvies) (obsolete, slang)

1. A marble. [from 19th c.]
   • 1877, William Harnett Blanch, “School Life in London” (chapter VII), in The Blue-coat Boys; or, School Life in Christ's Hospital, London: E. W. Allen, page 58:

     In our time the boys were much given to "mivvies," or marbles, and some skilful fortunate youngsters would by the end of the marble season, amass an immense stock, and so become absolute merchants in them.

   • 1891 July, Fred Armitage, “How to Move the World”, in The Ludgate Monthly, volume 1, page 181:

     You certainly would have laughed to see others playing at marbles, for the “mivvies” were like footballs, […]

   • 1917 August, Henry Handel Richardson, chapter IV, in The Fortunes Of Richard Mahony, New York: Henry Holt and Company, page 36:

     Mahony rallied him. “You were always a good one at striking a bargain, my boy! What about: ‘Four mivvies for an alley!’—eh, Dickybird?”

Further reading

• “mivvy n.²”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present
• “mivvy n.³”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present