People who attack and rob someone, usually in the street or a public place.
From 'mug,' which originally meant 'face' or 'mouth' in 17th-century slang, possibly from the word for a drinking cup shaped like a face. 'Mugging' came to mean attacking someone's face specifically, then evolved to mean robbery.
The word 'mug' for face comes from decorative drinking cups that had exaggerated faces, which is why 'mug shot' means a police photograph—they're literally capturing your 'mug' or face! It's a dark evolution, but language often darkens words as behaviors become more common (like how 'tweet' now means something sinister in some contexts).
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