Weird. The phrase notably appears in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2, Act 1, Scene 2: Seal up your lips and give no words but mum. What we do know is that these mumming plays were a raucous mixture of pantomime, morris dancing and carol singing, played out by a group of outlandish characters in stylised costumes. Example of Use: “Please don’t tell Mom what I’m getting her for her birthday.” Answer: “Mum’s the word!”. The word 'mum' was first used by William Langland in his 1376 work Piers Plowman, and the expression itself became popular in the 16th century. Sadly, no complete texts of early mummers' plays have been preserved. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. ), from mum, mom (late 14c. Mum’s the word is an admonition to keep something quiet, to keep something secret, to remain silent. The word is of long standing in the language and first appeared in print in William Langland's Middle English narrative poem Piers Plowman, circa 1376: Thou mightest beter meten the myst on Malverne hullesThen geten a mom of heore mouth til moneye weore schewed! [3] The origins of the phrase can be traced back to the fourteenth century and William Langland's narrative poem, Piers Plowman:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. Our best wishes for a productive day. If you subscribe to BBC History Magazine Print or Digital Editions then you can unlock 10 years’ worth of archived history material fully searchable by Topic, Location, Period and Person. More recently, the tradition has evolved to almost always include the character of a quack doctor, who revives the hero (usually Saint George - hooray!) If you want to tell someone to keep something a secret or promise to keep a secret for someone else you can use this expression: mum's the word. As an adjective meaning "secret" or "silent" from 1520s. You can see them adorning doorways and front steps across America. Chrysanthemums, commonly referred to as mums, have become the go-to flower for front porch decor during the summer and fall season. It can also be seen in popular fifteenth-century Towneley Plays:[4]. You can unsubscribe at any time. The earliest version of the phrase was 'mum is counsel', that is, 'you are advised to say nothing'. Mmm certainly was the word for the mummers - it was the only thing they were allowed to utter. Thanks! 'Mumming', or 'miming' as it was sometimes called, derives from the word 'mum'. [Except, it is lawful for people to enjoy themselves in moderation in their own house.]. In early mumming, the cast would dance or play games in silence – which is where we get ‘miming’ from – and began to popularise the idea of ‘mum’ being linked to keeping quiet. To get from Piers Plowman to our modern English phrase, we have to go via the old English tradition of mummers’ plays. The first citation of it in print that I have found is in A Walk Around London and Westminster - The Works of Mr. Thomas Brown, 1720: But Mum's the Word - for who would speak their Mind among Tarrs and Commissioners. "be silent," 1560s, from a verb mum (Middle English mommen) "make silent" (c. 1400); "be silent" (mid-15c. That form of the phrase was used in John Palsgrave's 1540 translation of the Latin text The Comedye of Acolastus: I dare not to do so moche as put my hande to my mouthe, and saye mum, is counseyle. As old as Piers Plowman, and as central to English folklore, is the English Christmas tradition of mumming. Jeremy and Andrew look at two curious expressions... Are you a spender or a saver? No matter how hard we try, sometimes things just go terribly. The origins of the phrase can be traced back to the fourteenth century and William Langland's narrative poem, Piers Plowman: There was never a definitive version in any case, as the acting, dancing, drinking and alms collecting that made up mumming varied from one parish to another. Catch Word #224 – Take the wind out of your sails, Catch Word #221 – I’d take a bullet for you, Catch Word #220 – Save it for a rainy day. ), from mum, mom (late 14c. The word mum to mean silent is related to the word mummer, which is a type of entertainment from Medieval times.Mummers performed dances, games or plays in silence. Everything you ever wanted to know about... From the first Remembrance Day to remembrance today. There aren’t any remaining texts of mumming, but they would have been a boisterous blend of panto, dancing and carol singing, performed by a bizarre cast of costumed characters. In this Catch Word... Super! Copyright 2020 Ginger Software | Mum’s the word is an idiom that dates back to the turn of the eighteenth century. That 'mummy' derives from 'mum' being an alternative name for the bitumen used for embalming. Origin. The phrase ‘Mum’s The Word’ is used when you mean to keep quiet or say nothing. Nor has 'mum' anything to do with Egyptian mummies, despite their prolonged taciturn disposition. In British sociology, used from 1957 in reference to "the working class mother as an influence in the lives of her children." failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to. The whole thing was looked on with displeasure by the church and the monarchy. https://media.blubrry.com/culips/p/esl.culips.com/audio/CW37_Mums_The_Word.mp3, Catch Word #38 – To push someone’s buttons, Catch Word #233 – I’ve got a lot on my plate, Catch Word #232 – That’s when it all went south. Uninstall instructions, Get Ginger to check your grammar and spelling, Phrase Page and check your text using a unique Contextual Grammar and Spell Checker. When you’re feeling down, it is still important to express yourself. No amount of threats by the authorities made any difference whatsoever. You have successfully linked your account! But you will see it is not so complicated when we explain the possible origin of this expression and the meaning of mum. Although they mummed for all they were worth, the players didn't use the phrase 'mum's the word'; that usage came later, in the 17th century. By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions. We think it is important to learn English how it is really spoken. 'Mum's the word' later became the standard way of advising a person to keep quiet. Though thi lyppis be stokyn, yit myght thou say 'mum'. In 1418 Henry V's Letter-Book records this proclamation: The Mair and Alderman chargen on ye Kynges behalf that no manner persone, duryng this holy tyme of Cristemes be so hardy in any wise to walk by nyght in any manner mommyng or eny ofer disgisynges with any feynyd berdis, peyntid visers, diffourmyd or colourid visages, up peyne of enprisonment. A cultivated chrysanthemum. The mummers had impunity to indulge in light-hearted mockery of their hosts and to swindle them of a few coins in crooked dice games. Mum definition, silent; not saying a word: to keep mum. If you want to tell someone to keep something a secret or promise to keep a secret for someone else you can use this expression: mum’s the word. The actual phrase, however, didn’t come from mummers but was possibly first used, in some form, in John Palsgrave’s 1540 translation of a Latin text. In this Catch Word episode, Andrew... Do you know what a weekend warrior is? Though the oldest known use of the idiom mum’s the word occurred in 1704, the word mum was in use long before that time. Slaves in the Viking Age: how prevalent were enslaved people in Viking societies? The Meaning of Chrysanthemums. Catch Word #228 – It’s really eating me up! The word “mum” is a slanged version of momme, which was used between 1350-1400 in Middle English with very close to the same meaning: Be silent; Do not reveal. As a word, it can be written as ‘hum’ or ‘mmm’, and it has a long history in the English language, dating all the way back to the influential Middle English poem Piers Plowman, written by William Langland in the 14th century. Get At Christmas in England in the Middle Ages householders could expect a visit from a motley group of mummers, who concealed their identity in bizarre disguises. Thou mightest beter meten the myst on Malverne hullesThen geten a mom of heore mouth til moneye weore schewed! No, the origin of the phrase has nothing to do with a parent, or an Ancient Egyptian wrapped in bandages Share on Facebook; Share on Twitter; Share on Whatsapp; Email to a friend ; This competition is now closed. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mum%27s_the_word&oldid=950055568, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 April 2020, at 00:31. 'Mum's the word' means 'keep quiet - say nothing'. The 'mum' in the expression 'mum’s the word' is derived from the humming sound a closed mouth makes, indicating an inability or unwillingness to speak. The word is of long standing in the language and first appeared in print in William Langland's Middle English narrative poem Piers Plowman, circa 1376: Thou mightest beter …

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