meemaw

See also: mee-maw

English

Etymology 1

Probably an affectionate alteration of mama or reduplication of maw (“mother”).

Alternative forms

• meema, memaw

Noun

meemaw (plural meemaws)

1. (US, dialect, Southern US) Synonym of mamaw (“grandmother”)

Etymology 2

Possibly related to maw (“mouth; opening”).

Verb

meemaw (third-person singular simple present meemaws, present participle meemawing, simple past and past participle meemawed)

1. (intransitive, UK, dialect) To mouth words so that they can be heard over noise (or later so that they cannot be overheard), originally in the cotton industry of Lancashire.
   • 2011, Ernest Dewhurst, Pennine Childhood, →ISBN:

     On working days weavers who had jobs were already meemawing across the racket of looms as the van delivered and in hot weather, with weaving shed doors open, the sound bombarded the streets.

   • 2013, Nick Oldham, Critical Threat, →ISBN:

     Bill, who had nudged the other customer out of the shop and locked the door, meemawed at him to wait.

   • 2013, Lisa Riley, Never Judge a Book by its Cover: The Autobiography, →ISBN:

     Basically, you meemawed anything you didn't want people to overhear, even when there was no one around to listen in.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:meemaw.

Noun

meemaw (plural meemaws)

1. Alternative form of mee-maw
   • 1860, Bobby Shuttle, James Taylor Staton, Bobby Shuttle un his Woife Sayroh's Visit to Manchester:

     Be still, says th'chap: un then fixin his een on th' dug's, un givin his buddy some spasmoddical twitches, un jertin his neck as if his yed wur a burden to it, un he wanted t'throw it off, he begun to make aw sorts o' meemaws wi his honds.

   • 1878, Publications - Volume 11 - Page 191:

     “Nor me noather,” replied Ben. “They'n too mony meemaws abeawt 'em for me.”

   • 2010, Anne Finger, “Our Ned”, in Call Me Ahab: A Short Story Collection, →ISBN, page 156:

     Indeed, the human voice could not make itself heard amidst the terrible din, and the labourers soon developed a system of signs and meemaws, whilst the foremen spoke the language of the strap.