Green’s Dictionary of Slang

see mutton musket

1. the Coventry Street end of Windmill Street, London, once well-known for its prostitutes [cove, abbr. Coventry].

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

2. a womanizer [cove n. (1)].

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

the penis.

1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 40: Fancy a bastard flashing the old mutton dagger in mixed company!
1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: mutton musket euph. A smaller more portable field weapon than the lamb cannon. Also mutton bayonet, mutton dagger.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 114: Short of dragging this lovely girl [...] under the table and sliding the mutton dagger home.

fat-faced.

1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 122: Mostly cooks, idle gourmands, &c. who delight in fat, soups, and slip-slops, evolve mutton-faced.
1832		Freeman’s Jrnl 10 Oct. 3/4: A mutton-faced young Esculapian showed his progress in chemistry.
1843		Freeman’s Jrnl 3 Jan. 3/2: A fat, mutton-faced boy, named Simon M’Gowan.
1857		Bristol Mercury 24 Oct. 7/1: Mrs Lynch made us of very bad language, called him a ‘mutton-faced — ’.
1893		Graphic (London) 10 June 19/3: A mutton-faced Cornish squire of restricted intelligence.

large, fat and well fed.

1923

J. Manchon Le Slang.

1. (N.Z., also muttonflap) the stomach.

1960

N. Hilliard Maori Girl 235: He slapped the roll of flesh around her belly; she giggled. ‘You’ve got a fair sort of mutton-flap there, old girl.’.

2. (N.Z.) the labia majora.

1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 74/2: muttonflaps labia majora.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

(Aus.) the penis.

1950		‘No. 35’ Argot in G. Simes DAUS (1993).
1969		J. Hibberd Dimboola (2000) 95: They don’t call me Mutton Gun for nothing.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 139: muttongun Penis. ANZ mid C20.

the female pudendum.

1834

‘The Silver Nob’ in Randy Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) I 190: On Mutton-hill appears each night, / The butcher to look for his silver bright.

a sexual pervert, an exhibitionist.

1963–74

B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 70: Who’s that galah talkin’ to Erica’s nippers? I hope he’s not a perve or a mutton merchant.

the penis.

1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: mutton musket euph. A smaller more portable field weapon than the lamb cannon. Also mutton bayonet, mutton dagger.
2005		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz Apr. 48: Letting off several rounds from the mutton musket.

a policeman, esp. in his role of harrying street prostitutes.

1909		(ref. to 1883) J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 205: [A] couple of mutton-shunters swinging Mangotsfield Correctives.

see sense 3 above.

a degenerate; a pimp.

1659

A. Wood Life of Anthony à Wood (1772) I 293: [of universities] The nurseries of wickedness, the nests of mutton tuggers, the dens of formall droanes.

1. the saloon at the Drury Lane Theatre, Covent Garden; often as the Mutton Walk.

1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 211: Mutton Walk — A flash term recently adopted to denominate the Saloon.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1873		Sl. Dict. 233: Mutton walk the saloon at Drury Lane Theatre. A vulgar appellation applied to this place early in the last century, still in use in the neighbourhood of Covent Garden, which was formerly the great resort of the gay and giddy of both sexes.

2. any street where one finds prostitutes, esp. the junction of Coventry Street and Windmill Street in the West End of London.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 771/1: ca. 1870.

1. sexual intercourse; thus have a bit of mutton.

1833		Satirist (London) 24 Mar. 518/2: [S]aints as well as sinners like ‘a bit of mutton!’ A man has been known to leave a chapel for you know what.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1999		D. Lypchuk ‘A dirty little story’ in eye mag. 8 July 🌐Then they enjoyed a bit of curly green, a bit of fish, a bit of giblet pie, a bit of mutton, a bit of sugar and he hit the kitten.

2. a woman, esp. a prostitute.

1835		‘No Meat Like Mutton’ in Fanny Hill’s Bang-Up Reciter in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 312: You cannot tell the number of half the lambs you meet! / You may have your choice of fat or lean, they’ll never take affront, / And suit your taste and pocket with a prime bit of — mutton!
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 84/1: C.19–20 obs.

3. the vagina.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

(Aus.) in a dancehall, the invitatiion to take ‘your partners’.

1910

(ref. to 19C) Sun (Kalgoorlie) 26 June 5/2: Though the speech was a little reminiscent of the M.C’s, ‘Collar your mutton’ back in life’s roaring days, there was a fine absence of ‘dog’ about it.

to masturbate.

1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 9: come your mutton [...] (v.): To masturbate the male member.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.

of a man, an act of sexual intercourse.

1833

‘The Marriage of Dumpling Bet’ in Fal-Lal Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 22: Nightman Joe he bellowed outright, / ‘I shan’t have a cut at my mutton to-night’.

to masturbate.

1976		D. Ireland Glass Canoe (1982) 178: I think Meat’s been thumping the mutton.
1984		McConville & Shearlaw Slanguage of Sex 78: flog the donkey Male masturbation. also flog the mutton.

given to womanizing.

1864, 1867, 1870

Hotten Sl. Dict. 184: In that class of English society which does not lay any claim to refinement, a fond lover is often spoken of as being ‘fond of his mutton’.

of a woman, to have sexual intercourse.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

of either sex, to work as a prostitute.

1962		F. Norman Guntz 57: A new law had been passed, prohibiting brasses from hawking their muttons in the streets.
1978		F. Norman Dead Butler Caper 64: She’d been forced to give up hawking her mutton on the meat rack under the arches in Piccadilly Circus.

(Aus.) in a dancehall, the invitation to ‘take your partners’.

1900–10

Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.].

of a man, having sexual intercourse.

1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: In her mutton; i.e. having carnal knowledge of a woman.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1811].

irritating, ‘getting under someone’s skin’.

1826

Vulgarities of Speech Corrected.

to kill, to murder.

1927

(con. 1835–40) P. Herring Bold Bendigo 167: In Regency days I would have made mutton of him without compunction.

(N.Z. prison) an unoffcial ‘court’, set up by prisoners to ‘judge’ one of their number.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 121/2: mutton chain n. = beef chain.

women.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Mutton-in-long-coats, Women.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).

1. a woman, seen as a sex object.

1937–84

Partridge DSUE (1984) 879/1: C.17–early 19.

2. see sense 1c.

see flog one’s/the mutton

(N.Z.) to urinate.

1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 76: That bastard might be round at your dump unbuttoning his mutton.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 117/1: unbutton the mutton to urinate.
1994		T. Cahill Pecked to Death by Ducks 190: As the only septic at the Sexchange, I had to ask directions to the snakes (rhymes with snake’s hiss) so I could unbutton the mutton and wring the rattlesnake.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

something or someone no longer relevant or important.

1919

Lancs. Eve. Post 13 Jan. 2/6: ‘Long will be very dead mutton ro-morrow night; only give him a stick.’ The ‘stick’ [...] was not to beat him with, but represents a mere 19 lines of type.

see separate entry.

see mutton-bird n.

see mutton-headed adj.

‘mutton-chop’ whiskers.

1889

‘’Arry in Switzerland’ in Punch 5 Dec. in P. Marks (2006) 98: Black Heton jackets, white aprons, and trim ‘mutton-chopper’ each side.

a sheep’s head.

1864, 1867, 1870

Hotten Sl. Dict.

(Ulster) plimsolls, trainers.

1997		Share Slanguage.
1999		Observer Cash 28 Mar. 28: He describes the ‘mutton dummies’ in Belfast. ‘They were papier maché shoes for the kids to wear. If it was a fine day there wasn’t a problem.’.

a large, coarse red hand, usu. in pl.

1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk I 14: Lifting his Mutton-fists to th’ Skies.
1715		‘Nickydemus Ninnyhammer’ Homer in a nut-shell Dedication: [H]e being a Man of such an exorbitant Mutton-fist,.
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 45: On your account his mutton fist / Once gave me a confounded twist.
1820		Jack Randall’s Diary 41: The man [...] whose mutton fist Could have tipp’d e’en a young rampant bullock enough.
1829		Morn. Post (London) 12 Jan. 2/1: The runner raised his leg of mutton fist, and gave him a trendous blow.
1836		Kentish Gaz. 12 jan. 4/1: I hear the dun, or man of bil-ious look, / With mutton first against the portal knock it.
1855		Hereford Jrnl 11 Apr. 4/1: Defendant put forth his ‘left’ hand — quite a mutton fist [...] and said it was still swollen.
1864		Manchester Times 5 Mar. 3/4: We talk sometimes of a leg-of-mutton fist, of an adamantine hand. Abraham Lincoln has both.
1869		Derby Mercury 18 Jan. 6/3: By the mutton fist of Tom cribb, you’re out-laws.
1876		C. Hindley Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack 190: When Jacob was in peril of the big fellow’s mutton-fist dropping him a hot ’un.
1880		Western Times 23 June 4/4: I shook [...] his leg-of-mutton fist.
1883		Sheffield Dly Teleg. 28 Sept. 2/4: He would run at me like a battering ram in the playground, and he had a shoulder of mutton fist.
1890		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer III 165: Homminey [...] came over and squeezed my hand in his great mutton fist.
1900		Huddersfield Chron. 15 Dec. 14/1: When a dance was announced both had every variety of arm offered, from the muscular with the shoulder of mutton fist, right down to the genteel cow tail.
1916		Coventry Eve. Teleg. 13 Oct. 1/6: His great leg of mutton fist descended on the hand [and] the grasp of the huge fist tightened.

see separate entries.

(Aus.) a candlestick.

1849

Bell’s Life in Sydney 13 Oct. 3/4: That gentleman could not prove that Miss Donnelly did not discharge the first missile, to wit, a candlestick, the identical ‘mutton holder’ complained of.

see mutton-headed adj.

see separate entries.

(US, mainly Western/N.Z.) a sheep-herder.

1936		D. McCarthy Lang. Mosshorn n.p.: Mutton Puncher. . . A humorous term used to describe a sheepherder [HDAS].
1984		I. Doig Eng. Creek 29: I suppose that runs against the usual notion of the West, of cow chousers and mutton conductors forever at odds with each other. [...] You could go into a bar and still find an occasional old hammerhead who proclaimed himself nothing but a cowboy and never capable of drawing breath as anything else, especially not as a mutton puncher.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 139: mutton puncher A shepherd.

completely dead, certainly dead; of a place, quiet, deserted.

1788		‘De Night before Larry was Stretch’d’ Irish Songster 5: Oghone! it’s all over said he, / For de neck cloth I’ll be forc’d to put on, / And by dis time tomorrow you’ll see, / Your poor Larry as dead as mutton.
1811		J. Poole Hamlet Travestie III ii: He is knock’d o’ the head, And than mutton more dead.
1837		‘Love in the City’ in Bentley’s Misc. Aug. 130: Sir, you’re dead as mutton; The Captain’s come. Your life’s not worth a button.
1843		T. Hood ‘Confessions of a Phoenix’ Works (1862) VI 234: What! as dead as a house – as a herring – as a door-nail – as dumps – as ditch-water – as mutton.
1845		Central Qld Herald (Rocmukhampton, Qld) 27 Dec. 27/4: He’s in there dead as mutton.
1850		Democratic Banner (Bowling Green, MO) 16 Sept. 1/1: Without hope, happiness were as dead as mutton.
1862		Louth & N. Lincs Advertiser 12 Apr. 3/5: To the greatest Captain, shot! / Nought to him that, dead as mutton, / Is, when gone and soon forgot.
1877		‘Mister Simpkins’ in Laughing Songster 116: My lamb’s as dead as mutton, for she does not say a word.
1882		Dly Bull. (Honolulu) 1 Sept. 2/2: he dealt the child such a terrible blow in the face that he laid him out as dead as mutton.
1895		‘Banjo’ Paterson ‘Johnson’s Antidote’ in Man from Snowy River (1902) 147: Stumpy was as dead as mutton, t’other dog was live and well.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 May 8/3: Most of his musical jokes fell as dead as frozen mutton.
1910		S.F. Call 2 Jan. 41/2: The Roosevelt policies are dead as mutton.
1921		Wash. Times (DC) 5 June 25/2: The night life of London is dead, dead as mutton.
1933		M. Marshall Tramp-Royal on the Toby 282: Although neat and clean-swept, it was dead – dead as mutton.
1940		W.R. Burnett High Sierra in Four Novels (1984) 389: There he was, lying cold [...] Cold as mutton.
1957		J. Braine Room at the Top (1959) 110: Dufton’s awful. It stinks. Literally. It’s dead as mutton.
1960		E. North Nobody Stops Me 184: ‘Snor Rider?’ I said. ‘Dead as yesterday’s mutton,’ Fred said.
1977		(con. 1940s) O. Manning Danger Tree 158: Dead as mutton, poor bloke.

1. a woman who dresses younger than her years.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Ewe, [...] an old ewe drest lamb fashion, an old woman, drest like a girl.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1818		W. Perry London Guide 138: Old harridans who are up to the ways of life, after a dozen disappointments, dress out lamb fashion, wear false curls and paint a little [...] subtract eight or ten years fro their age.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1831		Navy at Home II 131: The new peruke — just such another as we sometimes see old women wear at parties, where they go ‘dressed up lamb fashion,’ being, unhappily, nor more nor less than old ewes.
1845		R.S. Surtees Hillingdon Hall I 116: Her bonnet was white chip, with an amber-coloured feather [...] ‘Mutton, dressed lamb fashion,’ as Mr. Jorrocks observed.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 30: An old ewe dressed lamb fashion.
1896		G.F. Northall Warwickshire Word-Book 276: Dress’d up like an old yowe (ewe) lamb fashion.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Dec. 16/1: (cartoon caption) Miss Passy (old mutton dressed as lamb): ‘They say the paw-paw is a wonderful tree. It you hang up meat near it, the meat will become tender.’ / Miss Young: ‘How nice it would be to have one where you could sit in the shade of it, dear.’.
1912		P.C. Wren Dew & Mildew 275: A coarse, spiteful remark, made by a wicked woman, to the effect that Mrs. Willie was ‘mutton dressed as lamb’.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Dec. 27/4: It’s an era that’s bogus and sham; / One may frequently meet on a tram, / With a sweet ingénue / Of about forty-two – / She is sheep masquerading as lamb.
1919		Mayo & David [perf. Marie Lloyd] I can’t forget the days when I was young 🎵 And there’s many a bit of frozen mutton tastes as good as lamb.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 517: Mutton dressed as lamb. Long in the tooth and superfluous hair.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 65: Mrs Byrd [...] is regarded in the trade as little more than African mutton dressed up as Canterbury lamb.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 26: Not like these bags here in Woolloomooloo who are either too fat or too thin, too tall or too short. And mutton done up as lamb.
1979		Maledicta III:2 222: An old queen who goes on the prowl (UK trolling) in ‘her’ finery is mutton dressed as lamb.
1982		P. Bailey Eng. Madam 144: You are definitely not mutton dressed up to look like lamb.
1993		(con. 1918) P. Barker Eye in the Door 93: ‘Oh, and he doesn’t like false teeth [...] Mrs Thorpe’s got them, you know.’ ‘Mutton dressed as lamb,’ he says.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 224: Stella was thirty-nine and had green hair [...] The phrase ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ sprang to mind.
2016		A. Shulman in Guardian 29 Oct. 🌐 Any higher [heels] and I think I look ludicrous: towering platforms on me have the whiff of a mutton alert, even if they have fashion kudos.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 494: I smiled a skittish, kittenish smile at a contender in the mutton dressed as lamb category.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1924

Sun. Times (Perth) 24 June 17/3: The sweet youing thing in the mutton-dine-up-as-lamb regalia minces down the step.

see sure as hogs are made of bacon under sure as... phr.