1. A person easily victimized; the victim of a robbery or blackmail. 2. Anyone selected to be victimized by pickpockets or confidence men. 3. A place selected to be robbed. 4. The scar of a knife, usually from cheekbone to mouth, the traditional mark of the informer. "I don't want no part with that joker (fellow). He didn't get that mark on his kisser for being a right ghee (loyal person)." 5. A fool; one incapable of protecting his own interests.

- american underworld dictionary - 1950
The Second Book of The New Testament.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Next Book: Luke
King James Bible

A special text location in (X)Emacs. The mark may be set explicitly, or implicitly by some commands (usually those which insert a large quantity of text, like yank, or by commands which move point by some large amount, setting mark to point's old location, like beginning-of-buffer).

The region between mark and point is the region, which many commands operate on.

In wrestling terminology, a 'mark' is anybody who is not privy to the inside knowledge of the wrestling industry.

The term undoubtedly was borrowed from the carnivals where wrestling first emerged, but rather than being the 'sucker' who was to be beaten by the carney champion, nowadays the terms is more often heard pluralised to describe the mass of wrestling fans without access to the insider information of websites and dirtsheets - ie. those who either consider pro wrestling to be 'real', or who know it's choreographed, but nothing further.

The opposite of being a mark is being a 'smart'. The term 'smart fan' is used by many internet wrestling fans to describe themselves (as they use 'mark' as a derogatory remark about others) - after all, they read the result spoilers, hear about the backstage bustups, the contract wranglings and the gossip and rumour first. Of course, the ironic thing is that they, by definition, don't know what truly goes on in the arenas and on the road - nobody does apart from the promoters, the wrestlers and the employees of an organisation. We are being kayfabed nearly all the time - the trick lies in sifting the shit for the sparkle of gold.

I am one such internet wrestling fan. And I choose to describe myself in the terms coined by the late Brian Pillman - a 'smark'. We smarks know what gets leaked out, we know a certain amount of the 'real life' of the wrestling business, but when it comes to watching RAW every week, we're in the dark just as much as the kid who cried when he watched Hulk Hogan buried by the Undertaker.

For those that believe, no explanation is required.
For those that don't, no explanation is good enough.

-Jeff Jarrett
The slang term "mark" applies to a person who is perfectly set to be victimized. It is used mostly by carnival workers and magicians .

For magicians, a "mark" is whomever they are planning to pull their trick on. The term comes from a little known practice formerly employed by shady carnival operators (and possibly still employed in some places today). As a patron took out their wallet to buy tickets prior to entering the carnival, someone, usually a manager of sorts, would watch carefully to see if they had a lot of money. If they saw the wallet bulging with greenbacks, they would walk over and pat the person on the back as they entered. Concealed in their hand would be a piece of chalk. By patting them on the back with the chalk, the carnival worker gave them a "mark" which told the pickpockets who to strike.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Book: Mark
Chapters: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 ·

Mark was a sister's son to Barnabas, Col 4:10; and Ac
12:12 shows that he was the son of Mary, a pious Woman of
Jerusalem, at whose House the apostles and first Christians
assembled. From Peter's styling him his son, 1Pe 5:13, the
Evangelist is supposed to have been converted By that Apostle.
Thus Mark was closely united with the followers of our Lord, if
not himself one of the number. Mark wrote at Rome; some suppose
that Peter dictated to him, though the general Testimony is,
that the Apostle having preached at Rome, Mark, who was the
Apostle's companion, and had a clear understanding of what Peter
delivered, was desired to commit the particulars to Writing. And
we may remark, that the great Humility of Peter is very Plain
where any thing is said about himself. Scarcely an action or a
work of Christ is mentioned, at which this Apostle was not
present, and the minuteness shows that the facts were related By
an Eye-Witness. This Gospel records more of the miracles than of
the discourses of our Lord, and though in many things it relates
the same things as the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we may
reap advantages from reviewing the same events, placed By each
of the evangelists in that point of view which most affected his
own mind.

The Gospel of Mark

Jesus was sent to earth to preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the people of Israel. This ministry was twofold: telling parables to the masses; and explaining "the secret of the kingdom of God"1 to his disciples.

Jesus' teaching ministry

Jesus' teaching ministry is summed up at the beginning of the account. His essential message was: "The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"2

He taught people in general using parables: "He did not say anything to them without using a parable."3 I can think of two reasons why he chose to teach in this manner:

  1. The use of metaphors aids memory retention; and
  2. Full understanding would require close attention.
Jesus gave the following reason, paraphrasing Isaiah: "But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"4 It appears he was aware of the importance of his words, and was not willing to 'throw his pearls to swine', so to speak. Only those who truly desired to hear and understand would be granted enlightenment (see reason 2., above). This type of people was well aware that what he was saying was important, and repeatedly marveled at his authority, confidence and intelligence.

Only to his disciples did he teach clearly and comprehensively. He was equipping them to follow him in the ministry - while he was called to minister to Israel, Israel was called to minister to the world (this is how it has always been for God's chosen people).

Jesus' miracle ministry

It appears that Jesus' mission on earth was to preach the good news of the kingdom of God; indeed, he said, "That is why I have come."5 However, he is also seen performing miracles and healing people; there are two reasons for this additional ministry:

  1. Compassion for the people of Israel; and
  2. Protection of his identity.

Time and time again, Jesus acted in this manner simply out of compassion. The people to whom he was sent were, like sheep, responding to him in the only ways they knew: they followed him everywhere; they asked him to solve their problems (physical and spiritual); and they delighted in his teachings. Jesus made it clear that, for a 'miracle' to occur, all a person needs is to "have faith in God"6. And while he was all too aware that their faith in God was sorely lacking (mostly due to miseducation), it was apparent that their faith in him was abundant - and he responded to their needs in whatever way he could, even when he was worn out.

Compassion accounts for all Jesus' miracles (physical healing, food provision, walking on water, etc.) except for the exorcism of 'evil spirits'. Although the people of Israel were not clear on Jesus' identity, the demons were very aware of his presence, and seem unable to have kept that knowledge to themselves. Whenever there was a confrontation, the evil spirit would invariably start screaming Jesus' identity (the Son of God) to all within earshot. For some reason, Jesus was not willing, most of the time, to draw attention to who he was in that regard, and so repeatedly cast the demons out of the area in an effort to silence them, thus protecting that information from becoming widespread.

Footnotes
1Mark 4:11
2Mark 1:15
3Mark 4:34
4Mark 4:11-12
5Mark 1:38
6Mark 11:22

The mark was the currency of Germany until the implementation of the Rentenmark in 1924. It is probably most famous for its ludicrous levels of inflation during the Weimar Republic period following the end of World War I. For example, witness the average price of a loaf of rye bread:

1914: 32 pfennigs
1919: 80 pfennigs
1920: 2.37 marks
1921: 3.90 marks
Dec. 1922: 163.15 marks
Jan. 1923: 250 marks
July 1923: 3,465 marks
Dec. 1923: 399 billion marks

(Data from Saishin-sekaishi-zuhyo 6th ed., Dai-Ichi Gakuikusha, 2000)

Obviously, these hyper-inflated prices made the bills more useful as toilet paper than currency: anyone wanting to go shopping would have to bring a wheelbarrow full of cash with them. By the time that people started buying 400 billion mark loaves of bread, the government decided to issue new marks worth 1 trillion old marks; hence, the Rentenmark, which was the currency until the rise of the Nazis.

There's a much more detailed discussion of this at Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany.

At any rate, the ensuing Great Depression that screwed up all of the world's major economies didn't help things much either. And this, children, is part of the story behind how we got Adolf Hitler.

Mark was an Old Norse (mörk) and Germanic (mark) unit of measure commonly used for precious metals, especially gold and silver. It was equal to about eight ounces (half a pound). Many nations had coins named some variant of 'mark'.

Not England, though! In England it was never used in the form of a coin; instead, it was used as a unit of accounting. For reasons unclear, the mark (m) was equivalent to two thirds of a pound (£), or 13s 4d. The mark was used in accounting and law (e.g., in 1181 every freeman having goods worth 10 marks was required to have a helmet, mail shirt, and spear). As one pound constituted 240 pence, division by thirds was easy and common; one third of a pound was half a mark, two thirds were one mark, and three thirds were simply a pound.

The mark was introduced to England during the Danelaw, the period following the invasion of the Danish armies in the 800s and lasting to 1066. The use of the mark as an accounting term continued at least until the 1700s. Counting money under the LSD system was simplified in that the coins were scaled to their weight: a pound sterling weighed one troy pound; a penny was one pennyweight of silver. You could quite literally count your money simply by setting it on a scale. How the original half-pound mark came to be used for the two thirds weight, I do not know; it no doubt has something to do with the many various definitions of pound used in various lands throughout the years.

In 1816 the government adopted the gold standard, which messed up the silver accounting system; at the same time, paper notes were becoming more common, and other countries in Europe were adopting decimalization, making accounting in thirds passé. France switched over to decimal currency in 1795, and Austria-Hungary in 1857. Decimalization may not have been a major factor, however, as in Baltic regions the local mark was already well out-of-step with the British mark, being one third of a Reichsthaler, not two thirds. Regardless, the term died out quickly in the early 1800s, and is an obscure footnote today.

Mark (?), n.

A license of reprisals. See Marque.

 

© Webster 1913.


Mark, n. [See 2d Marc.]

1.

An old weight and coin. See Marc.

"Lend me a mark."

Chaucer.

2.

The unit of monetary account of the German Empire, equal to 23.8 cents of United States money; the equivalent of one hundred pfennigs. Also, a silver coin of this value.

<-- in 1995, approx. 65 cents American -->

 

© Webster 1913.


Mark, n. [OE. marke, merke, AS. mearc; akin to D. merk, MHG. marc, G. marke, Icel. mark, Dan. maerke; cf. Lith. margas party-colored. &root;106, 273. Cf. Remark.]

1.

A visible sign or impression made or left upon anything; esp., a line, point, stamp, figure, or the like, drawn or impressed, so as to attract the attention and convey some information or intimation; a token; a trace.

The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Gen. iv. 15.

2. Specifically: (a)

A character or device put on an article of merchandise by the maker to show by whom it was made; a trade-mark.

(b)

A character (usually a cross) made as a substitute for a signature by one who can not write.

The mark of the artisan is found upon the most ancient fabrics that have come to light. Knight.

3.

A fixed object serving for guidance, as of a ship, a traveler, a surveyor, etc.; as, a seamark, a landmark.

4.

A trace, dot, line, imprint, or discoloration, although not regarded as a token or sign; a scratch, scar, stain, etc.; as, this pencil makes a fine mark.

I have some marks of yours upon my pate. Shak.

5.

An evidence of presence, agency, or influence; a significative token; a symptom; a trace; specifically, a permanent impression of one's activity or character.

The confusion of tongues was a mark of separation. Bacon.

6.

That toward which a missile is directed; a thing aimed at; what one seeks to hit or reach.

France was a fairer mark to shoot at than Ireland. Davies.

Whate'er the motive, pleasure is the mark. Young.

7.

Attention, regard, or respect.

As much in mock as mark. Shak.

8.

Limit or standard of action or fact; as, to be within the mark; to come up to the mark.

9.

Badge or sign of honor, rank, or official station.

In the official marks invested, you Anon do meet the Senate. Shak.

10.

Preeminence; high position; as, particians of mark; a fellow of no mark.

11. Logic

A characteristic or essential attribute; a differential.

12.

A number or other character used in registring; as, examination marks; a mark for tardiness.

13.

Image; likeness; hence, those formed in one's image; children; descendants.

[Obs.] "All the mark of Adam."

Chaucer.

14. Naut.

One of the bits of leather or colored bunting which are placed upon a sounding line at intervals of from two to five fathoms. The unmarked fathoms are called "deeps."

A man of mark, a conspicuous or eminent man. -- To make one's mark. a To sign, as a letter or other writing, by making a cross or other mark. (b) To make a distinct or lasting impression on the public mind, or on affairs; to gain distinction.

Syn. -- Impress; impression; stamp; print; trace; vestige; track; characteristic; evidence; proof; token; badge; indication; symptom.

 

© Webster 1913.


Mark (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Marked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Marking.] [OE. marken, merken, AS. mearcian, from mearc. See Mark the sign.]

1.

To put a mark upon; to affix a significant mark to; to make recognizable by a mark; as, to mark a box or bale of merchandise; to mark clothing.

2.

To be a mark upon; to designate; to indicate; -- used literally and figuratively; as, this monument marks the spot where Wolfe died; his courage and energy marked him for a leader.

3.

To leave a trace, scratch, scar, or other mark, upon, or any evidence of action; as, a pencil marks paper; his hobnails marked the floor.

4.

To keep account of; to enumerate and register; as, to mark the points in a game of billiards or cards.

5.

To notice or observe; to give attention to; to take note of; to remark; to heed; to regard.

"Mark the perfect man."

Ps. xxxvii. 37.

To mark out. (a) To designate, as by a mark; to select; as, the ringleaders were marked out for punishment. (b) To obliterate or cancel with a mark; as, to mark out an item in an account. -- To mark time Mil., to keep the time of a marching step by moving the legs alternately without advancing.

Syn. -- To note; remark; notice; observe; regard; heed; show; evince; indicate; point out; betoken; denote; characterize; stamp; imprint; impress; brand.

 

© Webster 1913.


Mark, v. i.

To take particular notice; to observe critically; to note; to remark.

Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh maschief. 1 Kings xx. 7.

 

© Webster 1913.

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