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. There are many expressions in English that use the imagery of pictures. 'Mum's the word' has become a popular name for baby product shops and nursery services, but the 'mum' in this phrase isn't mother. Also sometimes a vulgar corruption of madam or ma'am. A common one is to ask... We all have moments in our lives when we want to say, “I can’t help it!” Sometimes we’re... You may have heard many English speakers put ish at the end of certain words. No matter how hard we try, sometimes things just go terribly. "Mum's the word" means to keep silent or quiet. 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. You have successfully linked your account! The origins of the phrase can be traced back to the fourteenth century and William Langland's narrative poem, Piers Plowman: As an adjective meaning "secret" or "silent" from 1520s. The Meaning of Chrysanthemums. They are hardy, colorful flowers that are easy to care for. ), from mum, mom (late 14c. William Shakespeare’s rise from ‘upstart crow’ to England’s greatest playwright, From candy to diapers: the purity of American English, The battle of Saragarhi: when 21 Sikh soldiers stood against 10,000 men. Phrase mum's the word is recorded by 1704. Sadly, no complete texts of early mummers' plays have been preserved. means to keep this a secret; don't tell anybody. Weird. He used the expression ‘mum is counsel’ In his work, The Comedye of Acolastus, he used the similar expression, ‘mum is counsel’: “I dare not do so moche as put my hande to my mouthe, and saye mum, is counseyle.”, Inevitably, any phrase with a Tudor origin is going to appear in Shakespeare. 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.

Nor has 'mum' anything to do with Egyptian mummies, despite their prolonged taciturn disposition. Slaves in the Viking Age: how prevalent were enslaved people in Viking societies?

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. Main definitions of mum in English: mum 1 mum 2 mum 3 mum 4. mum 3. 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.

That 'mummy' derives from 'mum' being an alternative name for the bitumen used for embalming. Sometimes things go missing. 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. There seems to be a problem, please try again. 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 tradition of mumming thrived throughout the Tudor period and continues until the present day. 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. To get from Piers Plowman to our modern English phrase, we have to go via the old English tradition of mummers’ plays.

The phrase entered the vernacular thanks in no small part to Henry VI, Part 2 and the line: “Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.”. [3] Uninstall instructions, Get Ginger to check your grammar and spelling, Phrase You can see them adorning doorways and front steps across America. There are many ways to tell someone you love them. The usual laws and social customs were relaxed during the twelve days of Christmas and superseded by 'misrule'. Origin. 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. 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. Page and check your text using a unique Contextual Grammar and Spell Checker.

[Except, it is lawful for people to enjoy themselves in moderation in their own house.]. Thou mightest beter meten the myst on Malverne hullesThen geten a mom of heore mouth til moneye weore schewed! You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email.