mumchance

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”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌm.tʃɑːns/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌm.tʃæns/

mumchance (comparative more mumchance, superlative most mumchance)

1. Mute, or not speaking; silent.
   • 1966, Paul Scott, The Jewel in the Crown, p. 69

     I wrote Miss Crane off as mediocre because although she chatted quite pleasantly and intelligently over coffee she was mostly mumpchance at the dinner table. Oh, not mumpchance tout court.

   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 446:

     The two little children stood mumchance, but with a kindly air.

   • 2001, Paula Marshall, Lord Hadleigh's Rebellion, Harlequin (Mills & Boon), 2008, page 124,

     If he did, he would remain mumchance about that, too.

• mummer
• mummery

mumchance (plural mumchances)

1. An old game of chance played with cards in silence.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Decker to this entry?)

2. A silent, stupid person.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

• Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition