To play the mischief
(gcide) | Mischief \Mis"chief\ (m[i^]s"ch[i^]f), n. [OE. meschef bad
result, OF. meschief; pref. mes- (L. minus less) + chief end,
head, F. chef chief. See Minus, and Chief.]
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1. Harm; damage; esp., disarrangement of order; trouble or
vexation caused by human agency or by some living being,
intentionally or not; often, calamity, mishap; trivial
evil caused by thoughtlessness, or in sport. --Chaucer.
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Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. --Ps. lii. 2.
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The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from
many mischiefs. --Fuller.
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2. Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble. --Milton.
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The mischief was, these allies would never allow
that the common enemy was subdued. --Swift.
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To be in mischief, to be doing harm or causing annoyance.
To make mischief, to do mischief, especially by exciting
quarrels.
To play the mischief, to cause great harm; to throw into
confusion. [Colloq.]
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Syn: Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.
Usage: Mischief, Damage, Harm. Damage is an injury
which diminishes the value of a thing; harm is an
injury which causes trouble or inconvenience; mischief
is an injury which disturbs the order and consistency
of things. We often suffer damage or harm from
accident, but mischief always springs from perversity
or folly.
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