madza n.
1. (Ling. Fr./Polari) a half; thus madza beargured, half-drunk, madza round the bull, half a pound of steak.
Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 61: MADZA, half. [Ibid.] n.p.: MADZA ROUND THE BULL, half a pound of steak. | ||
, , | Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859]. | |
Signor Lippo 47: They come at madza nova butchers to inspect and see all is bona. | ||
Fabulosa 294/2: medzer, mazder half. | ||
Man-Eating Typewriter 30: [She[ minnied aimlessly around the city in a medsa-wakey rev. |
2. a halfpenny.
Morn. Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 18 July 2/6: A half-penny [...] ‘Madza’ (English) and ‘ mag ‘ or ‘magg’ (Scotch) are synonymous, and mean literally a trifle made; no matter whether begged, borrowed, or stolen. | ||
Dundee Eve. Teleg. 19 July 2/4: [A] halfpenny is a ‘brown’ or a ‘madzer (pronounced ‘medzer’), ‘saltee’ [...] ‘mag,’ ‘posh,’ ‘bawbee,’ or ‘rap’. |
In compounds
half a crown, 2s 6d (12½p).
Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. | ||
Melbourne Punch ‘City Police Court’ 3 Oct. 234/1: The Mayor. – What’s the name of the lug chovey in which you lumbered the prop? Prisoner. – It wasn’t lumbered at all, your honor’s lordship. She sold it for a madza caroon in a lush crib, and got lumpy with the dibbs. | ||
Sl. Dict. | ||
Nottingham Eve. Post 9 Oct. 5/5: Romany oprigin [...] also applies to ‘madza caroon,’ meaning half a crown [...] Thus we have ‘madza saltee’. | ||
Fabulosa 294/2: medzer caroon half a crown (money). | ||
Man-Eating Typewriter 121: Felching the trummuses of these detestabnle arroganki gillies [...] for the odd manky medsa-caroon. |
a half-sovereign.
Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. | ||
, , | Sl. Dict. |
one halfpenny.
Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. | ||
, , | Sl. Dict. | |
Nottingham Eve. Post 9 Oct. 5/5: Romany oprigin [...] also applies to ‘madza caroon,’ meaning half a crown [...] Thus we have ‘madza saltee’. | ||
DSUE (8th edn). |