mitch

English

Alternative forms

• mich, mych, myche, meech, meach
• miche (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English mychen, müchen (“to rob, steal, pilfer”), from Old English *myċċan (“to steal”), from Proto-West Germanic *mukkjan, from Proto-Germanic *mukjaną (“to waylay, ambush, hide, rob”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mūg-, *(s)mewg- (“swindler, thief”). Cognate with Scots mich, myche (“to steal”), Saterland Frisian mogeln (“to act secretively and deceitfully”), Dutch mokkelen (“to flatter”), Alemannic German mauchen (“to nibble secretively”), German mogeln (“to cheat”), German meucheln (“to assassinate”), Norwegian i mugg (“in secret, secretly”), Latin muger (“cheater”). Related to mooch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪt͡ʃ/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtʃ

Verb

mitch (third-person singular simple present mitches, present participle mitching, simple past and past participle mitched)

1. (transitive, dialectal) To pilfer; filch; steal.
2. (intransitive, dialectal) To shrink or retire from view; lurk out of sight; skulk.
3. (Ireland, Wales, transitive, intransitive) To be absent from (school) without a valid excuse; to play truant.
   • 1983, Bernard MacLaverty, Cal, Chapter 4. (p.115 in the 1998 Vintage paperback edition):

     "Did you ever mitch school?" he asked.
     "No. But I think this is what it would feel like."

   John said he was going to mitch the last lesson today.

   • 1996, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews, "Old Grey Whistle Theft" (Father Ted TV episode)

     I was young once. God, the things we used to get up to in the seminary. Me and a bunch of the lads there, once we mitched off to see a Dana concert.

4. (intransitive, dialectal) To grumble secretly.
5. (intransitive, dialectal) To pretend poverty.

Synonyms

(play truant):

• bunk off
• skive

Derived terms

• go on the mitch
• mitcher
• mitchery
• mitching

Translations