Meaning & Analysis
The phrase literally means that an action or event is neither the formal Catholic Mass nor the prescribed morning prayers (matins), placing it outside the sphere of important, structured religious observances.
Insights
Insignificance and Irrelevance
The proverb is used to dismiss something as trivial, inconsequential, or irrelevant. If an issue is neither of the two key religious services, it is not considered a matter of importance.
Lack of Definition
It can describe something that is undefined, disorganized, or lacks proper form. Unlike the highly structured rituals of Mass and matins, the subject is amorphous and does not adhere to any established rules.
Sacred vs. Profane
The phrase creates a clear distinction between the sacred and the profane. By stating something is 'neither', it firmly places it in the secular or mundane world, devoid of spiritual weight or serious consideration.
Historical Religious Framework
Rooted in a pre-Reformation worldview where life was structured by canonical hours, the proverb uses 'Mass' (the central rite) and 'matins' (morning prayer) as benchmarks for all significant activity. Its meaning relies on a cultural context where religious duties defined what was important.
Psychology of Dismissal
The expression reveals a psychological tendency to categorize experiences into a binary of 'important' versus 'unimportant'. By dismissing something as outside the realm of sacred duties, the speaker can efficiently label it as trivial and not worthy of serious attention.
Colloquial Function
The proverb's usage, especially in Sir Thomas More's 1529 quotation ('It maketh no matter... for it is nother masse nor mattyns'), illustrates its function as a colloquialism for something inconsequential or easily corrected, akin to modern phrases like 'it's no big deal'.
Rhetorical Devices
Alliteration
The repetition of the initial 'm' sound in 'Mass' and 'matins' creates a memorable, rhythmic quality that enhances its proverbial force.
Synecdoche
The phrase uses two key religious services to represent the entire category of things that are important, structured, and sacred.
Antithesis
It establishes a strong contrast between the formal, sacred world of religious rites and the informal, mundane reality, giving weight to the former and dismissing the latter.
Transcription
Quotations
Mass nor mat-eynes.
It maketh no matter they saye, ye maye beginne agayne and mende it, for it is nother masse nor mattyns.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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