Let no question go unanswered
08 Sep 2008Shortly after posting about my wonders on the etymology of “mugshot”, I received the following two emails from my friends.
Harpo, did you ever track down the origins of slang “mug”, meaning face?Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable(16th edition, 1995) didn’t have much on the etymology, but said that “mug” in “mugshot” doesn’t mean “criminal”, but rather “face”, which was my intuition. “Mugging” someone is “from the old slang use of ‘mug’ meaning to rob or swindle” and “mug” as a noun is also slang for “one who is easily taken in, possibly coming from the gypsy meaning, a simpleton or ‘muff’.”The OED (1971 edition) says “mug” meaning “face” might come from the commonest sense of the word (something you drink from), because in the 1700′s mugs in the shape of grotesque faces were common. The first citation of “mug” in this sense of “face” is a dictionary from 1812. The first citation in context is from 1824.The OED didn’t have “mug” as a verb meaning “to rob” or anything along those lines, although it did have several other verbal uses of “mug”. It agreed with Brewer’s about “a mug” being a dupe, so maybe those uses are related. Besides for the noun usages I mentioned, the OED lists several others.
oed online (3rd entry, after cup and sheep):
1. a.A face,esp.an unattractive one.
1708Brit. ApolloNo. 2. 2/2 My Lawyer has a Desk, nine Law-books without Covers, two with Covers, a Temple-Mug, and the hopes of being a Judge.1798G. COLMANHeir at LawIII. ii. 47 Never let him clap his damned ugly mug in these here doors again.1824P. EGANBoxianaII. 412 His mug was often disfigured with the claret trickling down.1850E. FITZGERALDLett.(1889) I. 200, I found A. Tennyson in chambers at Lincoln’s Inn: and recreated myself with a sight of his fine old mug.1897G. MEREDITHAmazing MarriageI. xvi. 186 Look at old Rufus Abrane. I see the state of the fight on the old fellow’s mug. He hasn’t a bet left in him!1930J. B. PRIESTLEYAngel Pavementii. 84 They were all tired of seeing his depressing old mug.1955A. WESTHeritagei. 16 This is for you because you’ve got such a funny little mug.1986L. CODYUnder Contractxvi. 59 What! Miss a chance to get your ugly mug in the papers!b.A grotesque or exaggerated (and freq. humorous) facial expression; a grimace, a ‘funny face’.
1844E. R. LANCASTERManager’s Daughter(ed. 2) inOxberry’s Budget of PlaysI. 110/1 Who does he suppose was to cut comic mugs before noblemen, without being paid double sals.?1865Leaves from Diary Celebrated Burglarxxxiii. 109/1 Many were the queer ‘mugs’ put on by those who had been ‘gone through’… Artful..shook with suppressed laughter at the victim’s bewildered and doleful phiz.1907J. M. SYNGEPlayboy of Western World(1979)II. 51 He’d be..making mugs at his own self in the bit of a glass we had hung on the wall.1914D. H. LAWRENCEWidowing of Mrs. HolroydI. ii. 26 Oh, indeed! You think I’ve got to pull a mug to look decent? You’d have to pull a big ‘un, at that rate.1929K. S. PRICHARDCoonardooxvii. 169 The obstinate little mug Mollie had drawn her face into.1995Christian Sci. Monitor10 May 13 Mary Alice leans forward and scrunches up her face into a delightfully comic mug: eyes wide, mouth open, and shoulders in a shrug.c.orig.U.S.A photograph or other likeness of a person’s face, esp. in police or other official records. Cf.mug shotn. at Compounds.
1887Lantern(New Orleans)9 July 2/2 He had his mug taken in fireman’s clothes.1889C. T. CLARKSON& J. H. RICHARDSONPolice!xxiii. 323 Circulating thieves’ photos… Pushing the mugs round.1940R. CHANDLERFarewell, my Lovelyvi. 43 Nulty turned over a photo..and handed it to me. It was a police mug, front and profile.1982L. CODYBad Companyvii. 46 We’ve been showing them the books, natch, and some women picked out a mug.1820J. H. REYNOLDSFancy(1906) 22 Speak, Mrs. Tims; open thy mug, my dear; Mouths here are made to speak, and not to eat.1835T. C. HALIBURTONClockmaker(1837) 1st. Ser. xx. 202 Hold your mug, you old nigger.1896E. TURNERLittle Larrikinxvii. 192, I was afraid I must have said ‘Shut your mug’, or ‘chump’.1939S. SPENDERtr. E. TollerPastor Hall64 Shut your dirty mug!3.The act of throttling or strangling a person. Usu. into put the mug on(someone)**.
1862Sessions Papers Cent. Criminal Court26 Nov. 41 Roberts..said, ‘You want me for putting themugon, do you? I will put the bymugon you.’1862Sessions Papers Cent. Criminal Court26 Nov. 41Mugis slang used by thieves; it means garotting.1902H. HAPGOODAutobiogr. Thief(1912) 271, I explained how I would ‘put the mug on her’ while my husky pal went through her.1940Amer. Speech15121/1To put the mug on(a mark), to put a stranglehold on a mark who grows obstreperous after he has been fleeced.1955Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc.XXIV. 171 A strangle hold is applied… This hold is called..amugon the East Coast.</p>
COMPOUNDSmug bookn.U.S.(a) a book in which business or professional people publicize themselves and are exhibited in flattering photographs; (b) a book containing photographs of people’s faces, esp. in police records.
1902C. L. CULLENMore Ex-tank Talesiv. 85 I’d often seen him in New York, and I’d seen his mush in Byrnes’s *mug book, too.
mugfakern.a street photographer.</p>1933‘G. ORWELL’Down & Outxxxii. 236 A *mugfakermug shotn.orig.U.S.a photograph of a person’s face, esp. in police or other official records (cf. sense 1c).
Now I know the answer(s). And I didn’t even have to look it / them up.