Better wed over the mixen than over the moor

[worder]

what is a mixen? i donot find it in Webster's. meaning, please, thanks.

[Quizmonster]

A dunghill.

[incitatus]

its a variant of midden, as qm says. the phrase itself means that its better to stick with something you know of poor quality than an unknown . So better to marry the village idiot on a dunghill than to marry a foreigner from over the moor. I mean, they live miles away, how could you trust them?

[Janetex]

Quizzie, i'd have expected better. My search revealed a dungheap and/or someone you know rather than a stranger. I dunno.

[worder]

gals and guys you've all been such great help, i've learned a lot today. what a difference between your native language and your second!, it would have taken me a long time to figure out the meaning..that 's what i like about theanswerbank.thank you all for the help.

[Quizmonster]

Janet, from the way the actual question - rather than the heading - was worded, I assumed Worder simply wanted to know what a mixen was...so that's the answer I provided.

[worder]

I needed both the meaning of the individual word and of the proverb, but, hey, you all did great!