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muggins

American  
[muhg-inz] / ˈmʌg ɪnz /

noun

  1. a convention in the card game of cribbage in which a player scores points overlooked by an opponent.

  2. a game of dominoes, in which any player who can make the sum of two ends of the line equal five or a multiple of five adds the number so made to their score.

  3. British Slang. a fool.


muggins British  
/ ˈmʌɡɪnz /

noun

  1. slang

    1. a simpleton; silly person

    2. a title used humorously to refer to oneself

  2. a variation on the game of dominoes

  3. a card game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of muggins

First recorded in 1850–55; probably special use of proper name; muggins def. 3 by association with mug ( def. 4 )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

We’ll have separate MBMs for the two televised games, Rochdale v Newcastle and Wolves v Man Utd while muggins here will attempt to keep up with all the other games.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 4, 2020

“And she’s no one left, so here I am, muggins here, taking her to a laying out when I’ve a million other stones to be lifted off the pile.”

From The New Yorker ● Aug. 5, 2013

He was a considerable muggins, and a great coward, in fact, a Yankee deserter.

From "Co. Aytch" Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side Show of the Big Show by Sam R. Watkins

A minister's wife can't dance anything but the Virginia reel, nor play anything more than muggins.

From The Brentons by Wilson C. Dexter

“Ay, maybe that’s it: I ken it minded me o’ mud and muggins.

From Out in the Forty-Five Duncan Keith's Vow by Emily Sarah Holt

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