From Middle English magot, magat, maked, probably a metathetic alteration of maddock, maðek (“worm", "maggot”), originally a diminutive form of a base represented by Old English maþa (Scots mathe), from Proto-West Germanic *maþō, from Proto-Germanic *maþô, from the Proto-Indo-European root *mat, which was used in insect names, equivalent to made + -ock. Near-cognates include Dutch made, German Made and Swedish mask, Icelandic maðkur (“worm, grub, maggot”).
The use of maggot to mean a fanciful or whimsical thing derives from the folk belief that a whimsical or crotchety person had maggots in their brain.
Meanings
(Australia, alt-of, alternative, colloquial) Alternative form of maggoted (“drunk; intoxicated”).
From Middle English magot, magat, maked, probably a metathetic alteration of maddock, maðek (“worm", "maggot”), originally a diminutive form of a base represented by Old English maþa (Scots mathe), from Proto-West Germanic *maþō, from Proto-Germanic *maþô, from the Proto-Indo-European root *mat, which was used in insect names, equivalent to made + -ock. Near-cognates include Dutch made, German Made and Swedish mask, Icelandic maðkur (“worm, grub, maggot”).
The use of maggot to mean a fanciful or whimsical thing derives from the folk belief that a whimsical or crotchety person had maggots in their brain.
Meanings
A soft, legless larva of a fly or other dipteran insect, that often eats decomposing organic matter.
(derogatory, slang, vulgar) A worthless, obnoxious or contemptible person.
"Maggot!" said Catweazle angrily. "Sit thee down!" 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 32:
Drop and give me fifty, maggot.
(archaic, dialectal) A whimsy or fancy.
‘I am ashamed of him! how can he think of humouring you in such maggots!’ 1778, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin, published 2001, page 100:
Are you not mad, my friend? What time o' th' moon is't? / Have not you maggots in your brain? 1620, John Fletcher, Women Pleased, III.iv:
[…] If you draw, Sir, there's one prospect up the river, by the mills—upon my conscience—but you don't draw?'
No answer.
'A little, Sir, maybe? Just for a maggot, I'll wager—like my good lady, Mrs. Toole.' 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:
Scotland Yard have two maggots which crop up whenever anything happens to a young woman. Either it’s White Slavery or Dope Dens—sometimes both. 1927, Dorothy Sayers, Unnatural Death:
(slang) A fan of the American metal band Slipknot.
(We) We are the new diabolic
(We) We are the bitter bucolic
If I have to give my life, you can have it
(We) We are the pulse of the maggots 2004, “Pulse of the Maggots”, performed by Slipknot:
(US, alt-of, alternative, derogatory, offensive, slang) Alternative form of MAGAt.
From Middle English magot, magat, maked, probably a metathetic alteration of maddock, maðek (“worm", "maggot”), originally a diminutive form of a base represented by Old English maþa (Scots mathe), from Proto-West Germanic *maþō, from Proto-Germanic *maþô, from the Proto-Indo-European root *mat, which was used in insect names, equivalent to made + -ock. Near-cognates include Dutch made, German Made and Swedish mask, Icelandic maðkur (“worm, grub, maggot”).
The use of maggot to mean a fanciful or whimsical thing derives from the folk belief that a whimsical or crotchety person had maggots in their brain.
Meanings
(transitive) To rid (an animal) of maggots.
In the summer I had to get the sheep penned twice a day to maggot them and I needed a good dog. 1950, Frederick Daniel Smith, Barbara Wilcox, Sold for Two Farthings, page 82: