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1848   J. C. Maxwell in L. Campbell & W. Garnett Life J. C. Maxwell (1882) 117   Please to write about your Prizes at College, and about coming here to mug.

1860   J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang (ed. 2),   Mug-up... To ‘cram’ for an examination.—Army.

1878   About Some Fellows vii. 45   Stortford, ever since he had settled to work, had..been patiently mugging on at his verses, and had got twelve done.

1893   G. Allen Scallywag I. 241   That prize essay you were mugging away at.

1915   H. L. Wilson Ruggles of Red Gap ix. 161   Many an hour found him mugging away at the book, earnestly striving to memorize the part.

1960   W. H. Auden Homage to Clio 90   You need not mug up on dates.

1989   R. MacNeil Wordstruck iv. 102   His marginal notes suggest that he mugged up on Milton..about five minutes before he confronted us.

1999   Alumnus (National Univ. Singapore) Apr. 55/2   You must have mugged all the way through school and are working so hard that you have no time to relax.

2. trans. To learn (a subject, book, etc.) by hard or concentrated study. Usu. with up.

1868   All Year Round 25 July 161/1   The officer who is going to get his company..is found ‘mugging up’ the red book at odd times with enthusiasm.

1882   W. Besant Revolt of Man v. 111   When they ought to have been ‘mugging bones’, or drawing contracts, or reading theology.

1889   G. Allen Tents of Shem II. xxiv. 122   I've mugged it up out of books, that's all. Anybody can mug it all up if he'll only take the pains.

1905   H. A. Vachell Hill iii. 51   We must mug up our ‘cons’ well enough to scrape along without ‘puns’ and extra school.

1959   Daily Tel. 10 June 10/2   But no one..after yesterday's inauguration of the new electric services from London to the Kent Coast is going to mind mugging up any number of amended arrival and departure times.

1987   R. Manning Corridor of Mirrors xiv. 151,   I had mugged up a few Cornish folktales to tell Sue and keep her amused.

The term mug up has had various meanings since the 19th century, including to kiss passionately (Austral), and to paint ones face.

Nowadays in Britain it means to do some concentrated study, (e.g.for an exam, related word - 'cram'), or to bring oneself up to speed quickly with some field of knowledge.

The OED indicates many examples of mug used in the sense of concentrated study. But it is only in recent decades that the 'up' has been added.

The OED dates its use from the 19th century, but of origin unknown.

1. intr. To read or study in a concentrated manner. Now freq. with up (on a subject, book, etc.); also formerly with away at, on at.

1848 J. C. Maxwell in L. Campbell & W. Garnett Life J. C. Maxwell (1882) 117 Please to write about your Prizes at College, and about coming here to mug.

1860 J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang (ed. 2) , Mug-up... To ‘cram’ for an examination.—Army.

1878 About Some Fellows vii. 45 Stortford, ever since he had settled to work, had..been patiently mugging on at his verses, and had got twelve done.

1893 G. Allen Scallywag I. 241 That prize essay you were mugging away at.

1915 H. L. Wilson Ruggles of Red Gap ix. 161 Many an hour found him mugging away at the book, earnestly striving to memorize the part.

1960 W. H. Auden Homage to Clio 90 You need not mug up on dates.

1989 R. MacNeil Wordstruck iv. 102 His marginal notes suggest that he mugged up on Milton..about five minutes before he confronted us.

1999 Alumnus (National Univ. Singapore) Apr. 55/2 You must have mugged all the way through school and are working so hard that you have no time to relax. (Hide quotations)

Thesaurus » Categories »

2. trans. To learn (a subject, book, etc.) by hard or concentrated study. Usu. with up.

1868 All Year Round 25 July 161/1 The officer who is going to get his company..is found ‘mugging up’ the red book at odd times with enthusiasm.

1882 W. Besant Revolt of Man v. 111 When they ought to have been ‘mugging bones’, or drawing contracts, or reading theology.

1889 G. Allen Tents of Shem II. xxiv. 122 I've mugged it up out of books, that's all. Anybody can mug it all up if he'll only take the pains.

1905 H. A. Vachell Hill iii. 51 We must mug up our ‘cons’ well enough to scrape along without ‘puns’ and extra school.

1959 Daily Tel. 10 June 10/2 But no one..after yesterday's inauguration of the new electric services from London to the Kent Coast is going to mind mugging up any number of amended arrival and departure times.

1987 R. Manning Corridor of Mirrors xiv. 151, I had mugged up a few Cornish folktales to tell Sue and keep her amused.

The term mug up has had various meanings since the 19th century, including to kiss passionately (Austral.), and to paint one's face.

Nowadays in Britain it means to do some concentrated study, (e.g., for an exam, related word - 'cram'), or to bring oneself up to speed quickly with some field of knowledge.

The OED indicates many examples of mug used in the sense of concentrated study. But it is only in recent decades that the up has been added.

The OED dates its use from the 19th century, but of origin unknown.

1. intr. To read or study in a concentrated manner. Now freq. with up (on a subject, book, etc.); also formerly with away at, on at.

1848   J. C. Maxwell in L. Campbell & W. Garnett Life J. C. Maxwell (1882) 117   Please to write about your Prizes at College, and about coming here to mug.

1860   J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang (ed. 2),   Mug-up... To ‘cram’ for an examination.—Army.

1878   About Some Fellows vii. 45   Stortford, ever since he had settled to work, had..been patiently mugging on at his verses, and had got twelve done.

1893   G. Allen Scallywag I. 241   That prize essay you were mugging away at.

1915   H. L. Wilson Ruggles of Red Gap ix. 161   Many an hour found him mugging away at the book, earnestly striving to memorize the part.

1960   W. H. Auden Homage to Clio 90   You need not mug up on dates.

1989   R. MacNeil Wordstruck iv. 102   His marginal notes suggest that he mugged up on Milton..about five minutes before he confronted us.

1999   Alumnus (National Univ. Singapore) Apr. 55/2   You must have mugged all the way through school and are working so hard that you have no time to relax.

2. trans. To learn (a subject, book, etc.) by hard or concentrated study. Usu. with up.

1868   All Year Round 25 July 161/1   The officer who is going to get his company..is found ‘mugging up’ the red book at odd times with enthusiasm.

1882   W. Besant Revolt of Man v. 111   When they ought to have been ‘mugging bones’, or drawing contracts, or reading theology.

1889   G. Allen Tents of Shem II. xxiv. 122   I've mugged it up out of books, that's all. Anybody can mug it all up if he'll only take the pains.

1905   H. A. Vachell Hill iii. 51   We must mug up our ‘cons’ well enough to scrape along without ‘puns’ and extra school.

1959   Daily Tel. 10 June 10/2   But no one..after yesterday's inauguration of the new electric services from London to the Kent Coast is going to mind mugging up any number of amended arrival and departure times.

1987   R. Manning Corridor of Mirrors xiv. 151,   I had mugged up a few Cornish folktales to tell Sue and keep her amused.

The term mug up has had various meanings since the 19th century, including to kiss passionately (Austral), and to paint ones face.

Nowadays in Britain it means to do some concentrated study, (e.g.for an exam, related word - 'cram'), or to bring oneself up to speed quickly with some field of knowledge.

The OED indicates many examples of mug used in the sense of concentrated study. But it is only in recent decades that the 'up' has been added.

It is a ditransitive verb, section 1 below relating to intransitive use and section 2 to transitive.

1. intr. To read or study in a concentrated manner. Now freq. with up (on a subject, book, etc.); also formerly with away at, on at.

1848 J. C. Maxwell in L. Campbell & W. Garnett Life J. C. Maxwell (1882) 117 Please to write about your Prizes at College, and about coming here to mug.

1860 J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang (ed. 2) , Mug-up... To ‘cram’ for an examination.—Army.

1878 About Some Fellows vii. 45 Stortford, ever since he had settled to work, had..been patiently mugging on at his verses, and had got twelve done.

1893 G. Allen Scallywag I. 241 That prize essay you were mugging away at.

1915 H. L. Wilson Ruggles of Red Gap ix. 161 Many an hour found him mugging away at the book, earnestly striving to memorize the part.

1960 W. H. Auden Homage to Clio 90 You need not mug up on dates.

1989 R. MacNeil Wordstruck iv. 102 His marginal notes suggest that he mugged up on Milton..about five minutes before he confronted us.

1999 Alumnus (National Univ. Singapore) Apr. 55/2 You must have mugged all the way through school and are working so hard that you have no time to relax. (Hide quotations)

Thesaurus » Categories »

2. trans. To learn (a subject, book, etc.) by hard or concentrated study. Usu. with up.

1868 All Year Round 25 July 161/1 The officer who is going to get his company..is found ‘mugging up’ the red book at odd times with enthusiasm.

1882 W. Besant Revolt of Man v. 111 When they ought to have been ‘mugging bones’, or drawing contracts, or reading theology.

1889 G. Allen Tents of Shem II. xxiv. 122 I've mugged it up out of books, that's all. Anybody can mug it all up if he'll only take the pains.

1905 H. A. Vachell Hill iii. 51 We must mug up our ‘cons’ well enough to scrape along without ‘puns’ and extra school.

1959 Daily Tel. 10 June 10/2 But no one..after yesterday's inauguration of the new electric services from London to the Kent Coast is going to mind mugging up any number of amended arrival and departure times.

1987 R. Manning Corridor of Mirrors xiv. 151, I had mugged up a few Cornish folktales to tell Sue and keep her amused.

The term mug up has had various meanings since the 19th century, including to kiss passionately (Austral), and to paint ones face.

Nowadays in Britain it means to do some concentrated study, (e.g.for an exam, related word - 'cram'), or to bring oneself up to speed quickly with some field of knowledge.

The OED indicates many examples of mug used in the sense of concentrated study. But it is only in recent decades that the 'up' has been added.

It is a ditransitive verb, section 1 below relating to intransitive use and section 2 to transitive.

The OED dates its use from the 19th century, but of origin unknown.

1. intr. To read or study in a concentrated manner. Now freq. with up (on a subject, book, etc.); also formerly with away at, on at.

1848 J. C. Maxwell in L. Campbell & W. Garnett Life J. C. Maxwell (1882) 117 Please to write about your Prizes at College, and about coming here to mug.

1860 J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang (ed. 2) , Mug-up... To ‘cram’ for an examination.—Army.

1878 About Some Fellows vii. 45 Stortford, ever since he had settled to work, had..been patiently mugging on at his verses, and had got twelve done.

1893 G. Allen Scallywag I. 241 That prize essay you were mugging away at.

1915 H. L. Wilson Ruggles of Red Gap ix. 161 Many an hour found him mugging away at the book, earnestly striving to memorize the part.

1960 W. H. Auden Homage to Clio 90 You need not mug up on dates.

1989 R. MacNeil Wordstruck iv. 102 His marginal notes suggest that he mugged up on Milton..about five minutes before he confronted us.

1999 Alumnus (National Univ. Singapore) Apr. 55/2 You must have mugged all the way through school and are working so hard that you have no time to relax. (Hide quotations)

Thesaurus » Categories »

2. trans. To learn (a subject, book, etc.) by hard or concentrated study. Usu. with up.

1868 All Year Round 25 July 161/1 The officer who is going to get his company..is found ‘mugging up’ the red book at odd times with enthusiasm.

1882 W. Besant Revolt of Man v. 111 When they ought to have been ‘mugging bones’, or drawing contracts, or reading theology.

1889 G. Allen Tents of Shem II. xxiv. 122 I've mugged it up out of books, that's all. Anybody can mug it all up if he'll only take the pains.

1905 H. A. Vachell Hill iii. 51 We must mug up our ‘cons’ well enough to scrape along without ‘puns’ and extra school.

1959 Daily Tel. 10 June 10/2 But no one..after yesterday's inauguration of the new electric services from London to the Kent Coast is going to mind mugging up any number of amended arrival and departure times.

1987 R. Manning Corridor of Mirrors xiv. 151, I had mugged up a few Cornish folktales to tell Sue and keep her amused.