Mumchance

//ˈmʌm.t͡ʃæns// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Mute, or not speaking; silent.

    "There is something exceedingly unpleasant in being obliged to answer "No," to a traveller's "Pray, Sir, were you ever abroad?" and to sit mum-chance all the time that he is running over the "grimoire" of outlandish technicalities. For my own part, I am convinced that man is, par excellence, a travelling animal; [...]"

Noun
  1. 1
    An old game of chance played with cards in silence. countable, uncountable

    "The Taker oꝛ the Verſer is the man muſt play with him, the Cardes are fetch, Mumchance oꝛ Decoy is the game: the firſt wager is Wine, the ſecond two pence in money, from two pence they riſe to a ſhilling, from that to a pound, […]"

  2. 2
    A silent, stupid person. countable, uncountable

    "I'm not such a mumchance, to be sure, but I've as good a fortune"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English mommen (“mutter, be silent”) and Middle High German mummenschantze (“game of chance as part of a masquerade, mime performance, revel”), from Old French momen (“mask”) and chance (“game of chance”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English mommen (“mutter, be silent”) and Middle High German mummenschantze (“game of chance as part of a masquerade, mime performance, revel”), from Old French momen (“mask”) and chance (“game of chance”).

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