Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a prostitute.

1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1841		‘Jack Sheppard & the Carpenter’s Daughter’ in Gentleman’s Spicey Songster 10: The Carpenter’s Daughter was gay and free, / And a very merry a--s’d christian was she.

a bastard.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1797		M. Leeson Memoirs (1995) III 162: Elinor West was a merry begotten, of R-- A-- of Capel-street, who when nine years old bound her to a ribbon-weaver.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1893		H. Caine Bondman 45: Maybe you think it wise to bring up your daughter with the merry-begot of any ragabash that comes prowling along .

see under bit n.¹

sexual intercourse.

1685–8		‘Debauchery Scared’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) I 161: Bumpkin was arch, as he homeward did come, / he gave her a bout by the way, sir.
1780		Newgate Calendar V 314: Being asked [...] if she thought it proper for a woman of decency to ask another ‘how she did after this merry-bout’, and ‘whether she thought a rape was a merry-bout’ .
1904		Lustful Memoirs of a Young and Passionated Girl 36: She took off her clothes while he disrobed and then she said, ‘we took a bout on the carpet’.
1980		Maledicta IV:2 (Winter) 192: To melt is the same as to meld, to have a merry bout, to sleep with, swive with, copulate with.

(UK und.) a thief who initially poses as a street singer in order to assess potential targets for robbery.

1725

Life and Glorious Actions of [...] Jonathan Wilde 14: Merry Coves are Thieves that make it their Practice to wasl through the several Allies, Courts, &c. of London , selling and singing of Songs, Ballads, &c. which disguises them, while they are finding out a convenient House of break open at Night.

a variety of strong ale.

c.1530		Hoow Gossip Mine in Neuenglische Lezebuch (1895) 154: I know a draught of merry-go-down, The best it is in all the town [F&H].
1599		Nashe Praise of the Red Herring Epist. Ded.: Present mee with the best mornings draught of merry-go-downe in your quarters.
1637		J. Taylor Drinke and Welcome 10: It [ale] is called Merry-go-downe, for it slides down merrily.
1661		Antidote Against Melancholy in Ebsworth Choyce Drollery (1876) 114: The Merry-go-down without pull or hale, / Perfuming the throat, when the stomack ’afloat.

see separate entries.

snuff.

1821

‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London II 90: Always something short, but pungent, like a pinch of merry-go-up* — satire and sentiment — mirth, morality and good humour. [* Merry-go-up — Snuff].

a close companion.

1566		T. Drant (trans.) ‘The Thyrd Satyre’ Horace his Satyres Bk I Bii: A merry grigge, a iocande frende for euery sillye misse.
1611		R. Cotgrave Dict. of Fr. and Eng. Tongues n.p.: Gale-bon-temps. A merry grig.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II.ii: Let us hear and see something of your merry grigs, that can sing, play gambols, and do feats.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue III 643: ‘Nay, now,’ said Mall, ‘my little merry Grig, here’s to the mistress of thy affections,’ speaking to me, and drinking heartily.
1673		Wycherley Gentleman Dancing-Master I i: Hah, ah, ah, cousin, dou art a merry grigg – ma foy.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Pantagruelian Prognostications (1927) II 692: Those who belong to Sol, as topers [...] cupshotten swillers, merry grigs, with crimson snouts.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: A merry Grig, a merry Fellow.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: grig [...] a merry grig, a merry fellow; as merry as a grig, allusions to the apparent liveliness of a grig, or young eel.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1830		J.B. Buckstone Wreck Ashore II i: You were then but a merry little grig.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

see merry bit under bit n.¹

the penis.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 26: Badinage d’amour, m. 2. The penis; ‘the merry-maker’.

1. (US) a chorus line; also attrib.

1902		Ade Forty Modern Fables 65: He opens Cold Magnums for the Merry-Merry almost every Midnight, and he is having Diamonds set into the Teeth of Nine of the Peroxide Sisters.
1905		F. Deshon [bk title] Chorus Girls I Have Known: Forty Types of the Merry, Merry.
1908		K. McGaffey Sorrows of a Show Girl Ch. i: There is more than one of the merry-merry putting her little sister through school and don’t you forget it for a minute.
1908		W. Browne Everywoman acting version 38: Young and gay, bald and gray, / Not a man but does adore us: / Pays his toll, sells his soul, / For the merry, merry chorus.
1911		C.B. Davis Tales of the Town 118: In five years the girls I’m working with now will be still in the merry-merry, but there’ll be one new electric sign on Broadway.
1915		O.O. McIntyre Day By Day in New York 1 Apr. [synd. col.] Seriously, the merry-merry folk have had a most bitter winter.
1927		W.A. Page Behind the Curtains of the Broadway Beauty Trust 181: It is rather to the credit of those who have succeeded in being featured artists that once upon a time they were in the merry-merry.

2. a song.

1911

Louis Chevalier ‘Getting into Society’ Variety Stage Eng. Plays 🌐 So that’s why we chirp the merry-merry!

a turkey.

1788		J. O’Keeffe Prisoner at Large 26: The old likes a bit o’ the merry-thought [turkey].
1899		Western Times 12 May 6/8: While there was [...] bird at the table [...] he could be helped to [...] ‘a merry-thought’.

see separate entries.