Mud:
Here's mud in your eye is used as a toast (why do we use that word in
the context of a drink? The answer can be found later). The speaker is
really congratulating himself, for the saying comes from the world of
horse racing where the winning horse will kick mud into the eyes of
those following.
Another possibility is that it dates from the trenches of
WWI – if a shell landed near you and the worst you got was mud in your
eye, you were lucky.
An alternative origin was suggested in a BBC TV programme about the
restoration of very old houses with wattle and daub walls. The 'daub',
a mixture of straw, mud, etc. was thrown at the wall. This was said to
be quite enjoyable work, even though another ingredient was often cow
dung! Such was the alleged pleasure that it was worth having 'mud in
you eye' from the splash-backs. Believe this if you wish!
His
name is mud is a derogatory phrase used to suggest that someone is out
of favour or has offended his or her peers. This may have nothing to do
with wet earth but refers to Dr Samuel Mudd, a
country doctor in the USA and thus should be "his name is
Mudd". In ignorance as to what had happened he treated the broken leg
of one John Wilkes Booth shortly after Booth had assassinated President
Abraham Lincoln in a Washington theatre in 1865. Booth had had a horse
waiting for him outside the theatre; he made his escape to the nearby
countryside and was treated by Dr Mudd. The next day, on hearing of the
assassination, Dr Mudd informed the authorities that he had treated
Booth. In spite of Dr Mudd's ignorance of the events at the time he
gave the treatment, he was arrested and charged with conspiracy. He was
convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Truth eventually
prevailed and Dr Mudd was pardoned in 1869. However the public never
forgave him and it was only in the 1970s was he actually declared
innocent and the family name cleared.
However, "mud", in the sense of a fool, is described
in my 1811 dictionary, and thus in use for several years
prior to that. Additionally, as long ago as 1846 and well before the US
Civil War, there was an expression, "the mud press," used to describe
newspapers that besmirched people's reputations by throwing mud. So it
seems most likely that the expression "his name is mud" was well
established before Dr. Mudd met his unhappy fate, and his name just
happened to be a play on words already well in use.
Incidentally, John Wilkes Booth features in the family tree of Cherie
Booth, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Mum: To keep mum is to remain quiet; to keep information to oneself.
The Mum here is connected to the German mummeln, to
merely say, or mumble, the sound ‘mmm’.
It has long been used in this manner in English and one of the oldest
examples is found in the dice game called Mumchance. This had to be
played in absolute silence. The verb has virtually disappeared from the
German language, but hangs on in certain words, such as 'Mummlegreis' -
'old fogey', i.e. someone who tends to mumble on a bit!
Murder: To cry or shout blue murder summons up a picture of someone in
fear or terror but not involved in an actual murder. The origin of this
one is said to be a play on the French morbleu. where ‘bleu’ was a
euphemism for ‘dieu’ - this occurs also in ‘sacré bleu’. The related to
'get away with blue murder' must have the same source, but has no
overtones of fear or terror, merely good fortune. Blue is occasionally
added to words to strengthen them, e.g. blue blazes, blue funk.
Music: If you must face the music then you are accused of some mistake
or misdemeanour and must accept whatever punishment that is deemed
necessary. One theory suggests that the saying comes from the theatre,
where nervous actors must literally face the music when the curtain
goes up. Others think that the origin is military and based on the
drumming out ceremony that accompanied dishonourable discharge.
Mustard: To cut the mustard means to come up to
expectations, come up to scratch.
It seems the phrase has a US origin
and was first recorded in 1897. It was used in 1907 in a story by O
Henry, but its basis is uncertain. Some say that it's a corruption of
the military phrase 'to pass muster', indicating that military
standards have been achieved. Others say that a cowboy expression 'the
proper mustard', meaning the genuine thing, may be the basis - in the
19C the word 'mustard' was used in the US to imply excellence. 'As keen
as mustard', dating from the mid 1600s has also been suggested. In
truth, no one really knows!
