WITH SYNONYMS IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, ETC. (continued 5)

A man in debt, in danger, and in poverty; or in gaol, indicted, and in danger of being hanged.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, ch. iv. Paul became a gentleman of three outs—out of pocket, out of elbows, and out of credit.

1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, Bk. III., ch. v. Jerry Juniper was what the classical Captain Grose would designate a gentleman with three outs, and, although he was not entirely without wit, nor his associates avouched, without money, nor certainly, in his own opinion, had that been asked, without manners.

Gentleman of the Back (or Backdoor), subs. (old).—A sodomist. For synonyms, see Usher.

Gentleman of fortune, subs. phr. (common).—An adventurer.

1890. R. L. Stevenson, Treasure Island, p. 149. ‘Why, in a place like this, where nobody puts in but gentlemen of fortune, Silver would fly the jolly roger, you don’t make no doubt of that.’

Gentleman of Observation, subs. phr. (turf).—A tout.

Gentleman of the Round, subs. phr. (old).—An invalided or disabled soldier, making his living by begging.

1596. Jonson, Every Man in, etc., 2. Your decaied, ruinous, worme-eaten gentlemen of the round.

Gentleman of the Short Staff, subs. phr. (old).—A constable.

1839. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard (1889), p. 12. In the language of the gentleman of the short staff an important caption could be effected.

Gentleman of the Fist, subs. phr. (pugilists’).—A prize-fighter.

1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 44. Furnish such gentlemen of the fist.

Gentleman in Brown, subs. phr. (common).—A bed bug. For synonyms, see Norfolk Howard.

1885. G. A. Sala in Daily Telegraph, 14 Aug., 5/3. Bed bugs, the convertible term for which is ‘chintzes,’ are the disagreeable insects known in modern polite English as ‘Norfolk Howards,’ or gentlemen in brown.

The Little Gentleman in Brown Velvet, subs. phr. (obsolete).—A mole. [The Tory toast after the death of William III., whose horse was said to have stumbled over a mole-hill.]

Gentleman of the Green Baize Road, subs. phr. (gamesters’).—A card sharper.

Gentleman Commoner, subs. phr. (University).—1. A privileged class of commoners at Oxford, wearing a special cut of gown and a velvet cap.

2. (common).—An empty bottle. Also fellow-commoner (q.v.). [A sarcastic allusion to the mental capacity of this class of student.] For synonyms, see Dead-man.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gentleman-ranker, subs. (military).—A broken gentleman serving in the ranks.

1892. Kipling, Barrack Room Ballads. ‘Gentlemen Rankers.’ Gentleman-rankers out on the spree, Damned from here to eternity, God ha’ mercy on such as we, Baa! Yah! Bah!

Gentleman’s Companion, subs. phr. (common).—A louse. For synonyms, see Chates.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gentleman’s Master, subs. phr. (old).—A highwayman.—Grose.

Gentleman’s (or Ladies’) Piece, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A small or delicate portion; a tit-bit.

Gentleman’s Pleasure-garden, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see Monosyllable. [Hence, Gentleman’s Pleasure-Garden Padlock = menstrual cloth.]

Gentlemen’s Sons, subs. phr. (common).—The three regiments of Guards.

Gently! intj. (stables’ and colloquial).—An interjection = stand still (q.v.); hence, colloquially, = don’t get into a passion, go slow (q.v.).

Gentry Cove (or Cofe), subs. (old cant).—A gentleman; a nib-cove (q.v.). Fr., un messire de la haute.

1567. Harman, Caveat, s.v.

1656. Brome, Joviall Crew, Act ii. For all this bene Cribbing and Peck let us then, Bowse a health to the gentry cofe of the Ken.

1654. Witts’ Recreations. As priest of the game, And prelate of the same. There’s a gentry cove here.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. Tour the bien mort twiring the gentry cove.

1837. Disraeli, Venetia, p. 71. The gentry cove will be ramboyled by his dam.

Gentry Cove’s Ken (or Gentry-Ken), subs. phr. (Old Cant).—A gentleman’s house.

1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65. A gentry cofe’s ken, a noble or gentleman’s house. A gentry cofe, a noble or gentle man.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). Gentry cove’s ken, a gentleman’s house.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gentry Mort, subs. phr. (old cant).—A lady.

1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65. A gentry mort, a noble or gentle woman.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). Gentry mort, a gentlewoman.

1728. Bailey, Eng. Dict., s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Genuine, subs. (Winchester College).—Praise.

Adj. (colloquial).—Trustworthy; not false nor double-faced.

Verb. (Winchester College).—To praise. ‘He was awfully quilled and genuined my task.’ [Probably from calling a thing genuine. Cf., to blackguard, to lord, etc. But fifty years ago it was a subs. only.—Notions.]

Geordie, subs. (North Country).—1. A pitman; also, a Northumbrian in general.

2. (nautical).—A North Country collier.

3. See George.

George (or Scots’ diminutive Geordie), subs. (old). 1.—A half crown. Also (obsolete), the noble = 6s. 8d., temp., Henry VIII.

1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, List of cant words. george, half-a-crown.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew. He tipt me Forty Georges for my earnest, He paid me Five Pounds for my Share or Snack.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

2. (old).—A guinea; also more frequently Yellow George.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1787. Burns, The Twa Dogs. The yellow-lettered Geordie keeks.

3. (old).—A penny.

1820. Reynolds, The Fancy, Glossary. A Penny-piece—a georgy.

Brown George.—See Ante.

By Fore, or By George.—See By George.

George Horne, intj. (printers’).—A derisive retort on a piece of stale news. Also G. H.! [From a romancing compositor of the name.]

Georgy-Porgy, verb (colloquial).—To pet; to fondle; to beslobber.

1883. R. L. Stevenson, The Treasure of Franchard, ch. iii., in Longman’s Magazine, April, p. 685. He must be spoken to with more respect, I tell you; he must not be kissed and georgy-porgy’d like an ordinary child.

German. The German, subs. phr. (New York).—A round dance.

German Duck, subs. phr. (obsolete).—1. Half a sheep’s head, stewed with onions.—Grose.

2. (common).—A bed bug. For synonyms, see Norfolk Howard.

German Flutes, subs. phr. (rhyming).—A pair of boots.

Germantowner, subs. (American billiards’).—A pushing shot—when the balls played with, and at, are jarred together. Cf., Whitechapeller.

Gerry, subs. (Old Cant).—Excrement.

1567. Harman, Caveat, s.v.

Gerry Gan, intj. (Old Cant).—A retort forcible. Stow it! (q.v.). [From Gerry = excrement + Gan = mouth, i.e., literally, Shit in your mouth.] The common form is: Shit (or a turd) in your teeth; as in Ben Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, 1614. Fr., Tais ta gueule ou j’te chie dedans.

1567. Harman, Caveat. Gerry gan, the ruffian cly thee.

Gerrymander (pronounced with the ‘g’ hard, as in ‘get’), verb. (political American).—To arrange the electoral subdivisions of a State to the profit and advantage of a particular party.

[The term, says Norton, is derived from the name of Governor Gerry, of Massachusetts, who, in 1811, signed a Bill readjusting the representative districts so as to favour the Democrats and weaken the Federalists, although the last-named party polled nearly two-thirds of the votes cast. A fancied resemblance of a map of the districts thus treated led Stuart, the painter, to add a few lines with his pencil, and say to Mr. Russell, editor of the Boston Sentinel. ‘That will do for a Salamander.’ Russell glanced at it: ‘Salamander,’ said he, ‘call it a Gerrymander!’ The epithet took at once, and became a Federalist war-cry, the caricature being published as a campaign document.]

1871. Boston Daily Advertiser, 6 Dec. Gerrimander was the name printed under a picture of a pretended monster, whose shape was modified from the distorted geography which Mr. Gerry’s friends inflicted on part of the State for the sake of economizing, majorities.

Gerrymandering, subs. (political American). See Gerrymander.

1872. New York Sunday Mercury, 31 March. The Legislature of Ohio intends to prove itself a veritable master in the gerrymandering business.

1890. Athenæum, 22 Feb. p. 238, c. 1. Whatever faults can be found with Sir John’s administration, it has been good and successful enough to afford excuse for all the gerrymandering with which he is charged by his critics.

1891. Belfort’s Mag., Aug., p. 439. The Democrats of Michigan have carried the art of gerrymandering to such an extent that they have thoroughly disgusted their opponents.

Gerund-Grinder, subs. (common).—A schoolmaster, especially a pedant. Also Gerund-Grinding.

1759–67. Sterne, Tristram Shandy, iv., 112. Tutors, governors, gerund-grinders, and bear-leaders.

1788. Knox, Winter Evenings, 59. A pedant, a mere plodder, a petty tyrant, a gerund-grinder.

1825–7. Hone, Every Day Book, II., p. 33. Gerund-Grinding and parsing are usually prepared for at the last moment.

Get, subs. (old).—1. A cheating contrivance; a Have (q.v.).

2. (old).—A child; the result, that is, of an act of procreation or begetting. Thus, one of his gets = one of his making; whose get is that? = Who’s the father? It’s his get, anyhow = At all events he got it.

1570. Scottish Text Society, Satirical Poems, I., 171, ‘Treason of Dumbarton’ (1891). Ganelon’s gets, relicts of Sinon’s seed.

d. 1798. Burns, Merry Muses. ‘For a’ that.’ O’ bastard getts some had a score, An’ some had mair than a’ that.

1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 41. This, again, is unusual for a Chester, as his get are generally quiet and docile, but a bit lazy.

Get! (or You Get!) intj. (American).—Short for Get out! Usually, Git! (q.v.).

1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 176. None of your damned impertinence. Get!

To get at, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To quiz; to banter; to aggravate; to take a rise out of. Also To get back at.

1891. Sloper’s Half Holiday, 3 Jan. ‘Your family don’t seem to get on, missie.’ ‘On!’ replied the child, with dignity flashing from her great blue eyes; ‘on! I’ve got a father on the booze, a sister on the music ’all, an’ a brother on the treadmill. On! who’re ye gettin’ at?’

2. (racing and colloquial).—To influence; to bribe; to nobble (of horses), and to corrupt (of persons); applied to horse, owner, trainer, jockey, and vet. alike.

1870. Spectator, 23 April. That, of course, makes it profitable for owners to withdraw horses they have secretly betted against, and for scoundrels to get at horses.

1871. Saturday Review, 9 Sept. It is quite clear that some of the foreign working men have been got at.

1883. Graphic, 17 March, p. 262, c. 2. The House of Commons … can also be trusted to decide in local questions without any suspicion of being got at, as is sometimes the case elsewhere.

1883. Badminton Library, Steeplechasing, p. 404. Suspicions that the mare had been got at, that is to say, drugged, were afterwards noised abroad.

1888. Daily Telegraph, 17 Nov. It was strongly suspected that he had been got at.

1890. Globe, 11 Aug., p. 1, c. 1. Fancy the professional agitator trying to get at such men as these—men who gloried in being soldiers and nothing else!

1892. Pall Mall Gazette, May 10, p. 3, c. 3. The scoundrels (verily of the lowest form) who have tried to get at Orme.

1892. National Observer, vii. 630. If the horse were got at, then a bookie who stood heavily to lose is probably assumed.

To get about, verb. phr. (venery).—To do the act of intromission. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.

To get back at, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To satirise; to call to account.

1888. Daily Inter-Ocean. The newspapers are getting back at Sam.

Get back into your box! phr. (American).—An injunction to silence; stow it! (q.v. for synonyms).

To get encored, verb. phr. (tailors’).—To have a job returned for alterations.

To get even with, verb. phr. (common).—To take one’s revenge; to give tit for tat.

To get it, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be punished (morally or physically); to be called over the coals. Also (venery) to catch a clap.

To get off, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To (1) escape punishment, to be let off; (2) to utter, to deliver oneself of, to perpetrate—as to get off a joke; and (3) to get married.

To get on, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To back a horse; to put a bit on (q.v.).

2. (colloquial).—To succeed; or, simply, to fare. Thus, How are you getting on? may signify (1) To what extent are you prospering? or (2) How are you doing?

1871. Pall Mall Gaz., 29 Dec. That great Anglo-Saxon passion of rising in the world, or getting on—that is, rising into the class above him.

1892. A. W. Pinero, The Times: a Comedy, v. 1. We used to go very early to such places and stay right through, now that papa has got on, we arrive late everywhere and murmur an apology!

To get one in the cold, verb. phr. (American).—To have at an advantage; to be on the windward side (q.v.); to have on toast (q.v.).

To get one on, verb. phr. (pugilists’).—To land a blow.

To get down fine (or close), verb. phr. (American).—To know all about one’s antecedents; and (police) to know where to find one’s man.

To get into, verb. phr. (venery).—To occupy (q.v.). Also To get in and To get up. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.

1620. Percy, Folio MSS., p. 197. Gett vp againe, Billy, if that thou louest me.

To get over, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To seduce, to fascinate, to dupe. Also To come over and To get round.

To get outside of, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To eat or drink; also to accomplish one’s purpose.

1892. S. Watson, Wops the Waif, p. 9. Tickle urged Wops again and again to drink, but Wops’s only reply was, ‘Yer go on, Tickle; git outside the lot, if yer can; it’ll do yer good, Cully.’

2. (venery).—To receive the sexual embrace: of women only.

To get out of bed on the wrong side, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be testy or cross-grained. [A corruption of an old saying, ‘To rise on the right side is accounted lucky’; hence the reverse meant trials to temper, patience, and luck.]

1607. Marston, What You Will. You rise on your right side to-day, marry.

1608. Machin, Dumb Knight, iv., 1. Sure I said my prayers, ris’d on my right side, Wash’d hands and eyes, put on my girdle last; Sure I met no splea-footed baker, No hare did cross me, nor no bearded witch, Nor other ominous sign.

1614. Terence in English. C. What doth shee keepe house alreadie? D. Alreadie. C. O good God!; we rose on the right side to-day.

1647. Beaumont and Fletcher, i. Women Pleased. You rose o’ your right side.

1890. Globe, 15 May, p. 2, col. 2. Some of them had—if we may employ such a vulgar expression—got out of bed on the wrong side.

To get out (or Round), verb. phr. (racing).—To back a horse against which one has previously laid; to Hedge (q.v.).

1884. Hawley Smart, From Post to Finish, p. 318. He had an idea Johnson was this time cleverly working a very well authorised commission, and that he personally had taken more than one opportunity of what is termed getting out.

To get set, verb. phr. (cricketing).—1. To warm to one’s work at the wicket, and collar the bowling; to get one’s eye well in.

To get there, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To attain one’s object; to be successful; to make one’s jack (q.v.); to get there with both feet = to be very successful.

1887. Francis, Saddle and Mocassin. He said as he’d been gambling, and was two hundred dollars ahead of the town. He got there with both feet at starting.

1888. New York Herald, 29 July. Although not a delegate he got there all the same.

2. (common).—To get drunk. For synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed.

3. (venery).—To enjoy the sexual favour.

To get through, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To pass an examination; to accomplish.

1853. Bradley, Verd. Green, II. ch. xii. So you see, Giglamps, I’m safe to get through.

To get up and dust, verb. phr. (American).—To depart hastily. For synonyms, see Skedaddle and Amputate.

To get up behind (or get behind) a man, verb. phr. (common).—To endorse or back a bill.

1880. Life in a Debtor’s Prison, p. 87. In other cases he figured as the drawer, or simply as endorser. This, Mr. Whipper described as getting up behind.

To get up the mail, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To find money (as counsels’ fees, etc.) for defence.

1889. Clarkson and Richardson, Police, 322, s.v.

[Get enters into many other combinations. See back teeth; bag or sack; bead; beans; beat; big bird and goose; big head; billet; bit; boat; bolt; books; bulge; bullet; bull’s feather; crocketts; dander and monkey; dark; drop; eye; flannels; flint; game; grand bounce; gravel-rash; grind; grindstone; hand; hang; hat; head; hip or hop; home; horn; hot; jack; keen; length of one’s foot; measure; mitten; needle; religion; rise; run; scot, swot, or scrape; set; shut of; silk; snuff; straight; sun; ticket of leave; wool; wrong box.]

Getaway, subs. (American thieves’).—A locomotive or train; a puffer (q.v.).

Getter. A sure getter, subs. phr. (Scots).—A procreant male with a great capacity for fertilization.

Get-up, subs. (colloquial).—1. Dress; constitution and appearance; disguise. See Get-up, verb, sense 1.

1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. xiv. Is that killing get up entirely for your benefit, John? I asked.

1865. G. A. Sala, Trip to Barbary, ch. x. Altogether the get up of a Mauresque en promenade is livelier and smarter than that of a Turkish woman.

1866. G. Eliot, Felix Holt, ch. xii. The graceful, well-appointed Mr. Christian, who sneered at Scales about his get up, having to walk back to the house with only one tail to his coat.

1882. Graphic, 9 Dec., p. 643, c. 2. Comic gets up, which will make the house roar presently, are elaborated with the business air of a judge in banc, or a water-rate collector.

1889. Mirror, 26 Aug., p. 2, c. 1. I cannot, however, congratulate F. C. G. on his sketch of Blowitz; it isn’t much like the great man, and the get up is quite too absurd.

1890. Daily Telegraph, 25 Feb., p. 7. col. 7. Dressed as a copurchic, and, giving himself out as an Italian count—thinking to entrap some Transatlantic heiress by his title, fascinating appearance, and gorgeous get up.

Verb. phr. (colloquial).—(1). To prepare (a part, a paper, a case); (2) to arrange (a concert); (3) to dress (as got up regardless, to the nines, to the knocker, to kill, within an inch of one’s life); (4) to disguise (as a sailor, a soldier, Henry VIII., a butcher, a nun). See also Get into.

1828. L. Hunt, Essays (Camelot ed.), p. 13. The pocket-books that now contain any literature are got up, as the phrase is, in the most unambitious style.

1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. xviii. Three very gentleman-like, good-looking men, got up to the utmost extent of hunting splendour.

1864. Eton School Days, ch. xviii., p. 207. He felt confident in his power of getting up so that no one would recognise him.

1866. New York Home Journal, Jan. While that admirable old dame, Nature, has been strangely neglectful of much which might be conducive to our comfort, she has gotten up, regardless of expense, a few articles which are good for some purposes, as the witty Hood has told us.

1871. London Figaro, 11 Mar. It is got up very much in the style of the Paris journals, and is very inferior compared with any respectable journal in England.

1889. Polytechnic Magazine, 24 Oct., p. 261. He came specially got up in piebald trousers.

1892. Chevalier. ‘The Little Nipper.’ I’ve knowed ’im take a girl on six feet tall; ’E’d git ’imself up dossy, Say ‘I’m goin’ out wi’ Flossie.’

G.H. See George Horne.

Ghastly, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Very: a popular intensitive; Cf., Awful, Bloody, Fucking.

Ghost, subs. (common).—One who secretly does artistic or literary work for another person taking the credit and receiving the price. [The term was frequently used during the trial of Lawes v. Belt in 188(?).] Cf., devil.

1890. Daily Telegraph, 8 Feb. The sculptor’s ghost is conjured up from the vasty deep of byegone lawsuits.

1892. National Observer, vii., 327. Would not the unkind describe your ‘practical man’ as a ghost?

Verb. (common).—To prowl; to spy upon; to shadow (q.v.).

The ghost walks (or does not walk) phr. (theatrical).—There is (or is not) money in the treasury.

1853. Household Words, No. 183. When no salaries are forthcoming the ghost doesn’t walk.

1883. Referee, 24 June, p. 3, c. 2. An Actor’s Benevolent Fund box placed on the treasurer’s desk every day when the ghost walks would get many an odd shilling or sixpence put into it.

1885. The Stage, p. 112. The rogues seldom appear at a loss for a plausible story when it is time for the ghost to walk. Ibid. The next day the ghost declines to walk.

1889. J. C. Colman (in Slang, Jargon, and Cant), p. 405. Ghost-walking, a term originally applied by an impecunious stroller in a sharing company to the operation of ‘holding the treasury,’ or paying the salaries, which has become a stock facetiæ among all kinds and descriptions of actors. Instead of enquiring whether the treasury is open, they generally say—‘Has the ghost walked?’ or ‘What, has this thing appeared again?’ (Shakspeare).

1890. Illustrated Bits, 29 Mar., p. 11, c. 1. And a few nights with empty benches laid the ghost completely. It could not even walk to the tune of quarter salaries.

The ghost of a chance, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The faintest likelihood, or the slightest trace: e.g., He hasn’t the ghost of a chance.

1891. Sportsman, 26 Mar. He did not give the ghost of a chance.

Ghoul, subs. (American.)—1. A spy; specifically a man who preys on such married women as addict themselves to assignation houses.

2. (journalistic).—A newspaper chronicler of the smallest private tittle-tattle.

Gib, subs. (colloquial).—1. Gibraltar. Once a penal station: whence—2. A gaol.

1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 221. I did a lagging of seven, and was at the gib three out of it.

1892. Pall Mall Gazette, 23 Mar., p. 6, c. 1. ‘Stormy Weather at gib.’ The weather here has been fearful; 51 inches of rain have been registered, and the land for miles round Gibraltar is submerged.

To hang one’s gib, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To pout. See Jib.

Gibberish (or Gebberish, Gibberidge, Gibrige, etc.), subs. (old: now recognised).—Originally the lingo of gipsies, beggars, etc. Now, any kind of inarticulate nonsense. [From gibber, a variant of Jabber.] See Cant, Slang, Pedlar’s French, etc.

1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller, in wks., v., 68. That all cried out upon him mightily in their gibrige, lyke a companie of beggers.

1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Gergare, to speak fustian, pedlers french, or rogues language, or gibbrish.

1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Jargon, gibridge fustian language, pedler’s French, a barbarus jangling.

1638. H. Shirley, Martyr’d Souldier, Act iii., Sc. 4. Feele my pulse once again and tell me, Doctor, Tell me in tearmes that I may understand,—I doe not love your gibberish,—tell me honestly Where the Cause lies, and give a Remedy.

1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Gibberish (s.) an unintelligible jargon, or confused way of speaking, used by the gipsies, beggars, etc., to disguise their wicked designs; also any discourse where words abound more than sense.

1748. Smollett, Rod. Random, ch. xxx. He repeated some gibberish which by the sound seemed to be Irish.

1817. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. viii. Since that d——d clerk of mine has taken his gibberish elsewhere.

1850. D. Jerrold, The Catspaw, Act i. Odds and ends … writ down in such a kind of gibberish that I can’t make out one of ’em.

1858. G. Eliot, Mr. Gilfit’s Love Story, ch. iv. It’ll learn to speak summat better nor gibberish, an’ be brought up i’ the true religion.

1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 129. It was Fo’c’s’le Jack that piped and drawled his ungrammatical gibberish.

Gibble-Gabble, subs. (colloquial).—Nonsense; gibberish (q.v.). [A reduplication of gabble (q.v.).]

1600. Dekker, Shoemaker’s Holiday, in wks. (1873) i., 21. Hee’s some uplandish workeman, hire him good master, That I may learne some gibble gabble, ’twill make us worke the faster.

1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Gibble-gabble (s), silly, foolish, idle talk.

Gib-cat, subs. (old).—A tom-cat. [An abbreviation of Gilbert = O. Fr.: Tibert, the cat in the fable of Reynard the Fox.]

1360. Chaucer, Romaunt of the Rose, 6204 (Thibert le Cas is rendered by gibbe, our cat).

1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., Act i., Sc. 2. I am as melancholy as a gib-cat.

1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, i., 1. Before I endure such another day with him, I’ll be drawn with a good gib-cat through the great pond at home.

1663. Rump Songs. ‘Rump Carbonadoed,’ ii., 71. As if they had less wit and grace than gib-cats.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gibe, verb. (American).—To go well with; to be acceptable. See Gee.

Gibel, verb. (thieves’).—To bring.

1837. Disraeli, Venetia, bk. i., ch. xiv. Gibel the chive, bring the knife.

Gib-face, subs. (colloquial).—A heavy jowl; an ugly-mug (q.v.). Cf., to hang one’s gib.

Giblets, subs. (common).—1. The intestines generally; the manifold (q.v.). Cf. trouble-giblets.

1864. Browning, Dramatis Personæ, ‘Flight of the Duchess.’ Is pumped up briskly through the main ventricle, And floats me genially round the giblets.

2. (colloquial).—A fat man; forty-guts (q.v.). Also Duke of Giblets.

To join giblets, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate. Also to have or do a bit of giblet-pie. For synonyms, see Ride. Hence to cohabit as husband and wife; to live tally. Cf., plaster of warm guts.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1887. Notes and Queries, 7 S., iv., 511. ‘To join giblets.’—This expression may occasionally be heard in this district, among the lowest and vulgarest, and has a very offensive meaning.

To fret one’s giblets, verb. phr.—See Fret.

Gibraltar, subs. (American).—A party stronghold: e.g., the Gibraltar of Democracy.—Norton.

Gibson (or Sir John Gibson), subs. (old coachbuilders’).—A rest to support the body of a building coach.

Gibus, subs. (colloquial).—1. An opera, or crush hat. Fr., un accordéon. [From the name of the inventor.]

1867. Jas. Greenwood, Unsent. Journeys, iii., 21. West-End aristocrats, with spotless jean coats and Gibus hats.

1871. Figaro, 2 Sept. Much fun may be made by wearing a Gibus, and collapsing it at the moment of contact with the funnel.

1885. Punch, 4 Apr., p. 160. Giving his comic, shiny, curly-brimmed hat to the swell who couldn’t by any possible chance have mistaken it for his own Gibus.

1887. Atkin, House Scraps, p. 144. Their Gibus hats are cock’d awry.

Giddy, adj. (colloquial).—Flighty; wanton: e.g., to play the giddy goat = to live a fast life; to be happy-go-lucky.

1892. Ally Sloper, 19 Mar., p. 91, c. 2. Fanny Robinson was flighty; she played the giddy ox—I mean heifer.

Giffle-gaffle, subs. (old).—Nonsense; a variant of gibble-gabble (q.v.).

1787. Grose, Prov. Glossary. Giff-gaff, unpremeditated discourse.

Gif-gaf (or Giff-gaff), subs. (Scots’).—A bargain on equal terms. Whence the proverb: Gif-gaf maks guid friens. Fr.: Passe-moi la casse et je t’enverrai la senne.

Gift, subs. (colloquial).—1. Anything, lightly gained or easily won.

2. (common).—A white speck on the finger nails, supposed to portend a gift.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

3. (printers’).—See Gift-house.

As full of gifts as a brazen horse of farts, phr. (old).—Mean; miserly; disinclined to part (q.v.).

1811 Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

Gift of the Gab.—See Gab.

Gift-house (or Gift), subs. (printers’).—A club; a house of call; specifically for the purpose of finding employment, or providing allowances for members.

Gig (Gigg, Gigge), subs. (old).—1. a wanton; a mistress; a flighty girl. Cf., Giglet.

1373. Chaucer, House of Fame, iii. 851. This house was also ful of gygges.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew. A young gig, a wanton lass.

1780. D’Arbley, Diary, etc., (1876), i., 286. Charlotte L—— called, and the little gig told … of the domestic life she led in her family, and made them all ridiculous, without meaning to make herself so.

1825. Planché, Success in Extravaganzas (1879) I., 26. He! he! What a gig you look in that hat and feather!

1832. Macaulay in Life, by Trevelyan (1884), ch. v., p. 188. Be you Foxes, be you Pitts, You must write to silly chits, Be you Tories, be you Whigs, You must write to sad young gigs.

2. (old).—A jest; a piece of nonsense; anything fanciful or frivolous. Hence, generally, in contempt.

1590. Nashe, Pasquil’s Apologie, in wks. Vol. I., p. 234. A right cutte of the worde, withoute gigges or fancies of haereticall and newe opinions.

1793. Butt, Poems.… Fograms, quizzes, treats, and bores, and gigs, Were held in some account with ancient prigs.

1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. xiv. Such a set of gigs, my dear, I never saw in my life; large underbred horses, and not a good-looking man amongst them.

3. (old).—The nose. For synonyms, see Conk. To snitchell the gig = to pull the nose. Grunter’s gig = a hog’s snout.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

4. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see Monosyllable. [Possibly from gig = a top, i.e., a toy; possibly, too, from It. giga = a fiddle (q.v.); but see post sense 8.]

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

5. (old: now recognised).—A light two-wheeled vehicle drawn by one horse.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1809. Windham, Speech, 25 May. Let the former riders in gigs and whiskeys, and one horsed carriages continue to ride in them.

6. (old).—A door. See Gigger.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. It is all bob, now let’s dub the gigg of the case: now the coast is clear, let us break open the door of the house.

7. (Eton).—A fool; an overdressed person. For synonyms, see Sammy-soft.

1797. Colman, Heir at Law, iv., 3. Dick.—What a damn’d gig you look like. Pangloss.—A gig! umph! that’s an Eton phrase—the Westminsters call it Quiz.

1870. Athenæum, 16 Apr. He would now be what Eton used to call a gig, and Westminster a Quiz.

8. (old).—Fun; a frolic; a spree. [Possibly from Fr.: gigue = a lively dance movement. Cf., gigue et jon = a Bacchanalian exclamation of sailors. In Florio, too, frottolare = ‘to sing gigges, rounds, or … wanton verses.’] Full of gig = full of laughter, ripe for mischief.

1811. Moore, Twopenny Post-bag, Letter 3. We were all in high gig—Roman punch and tokay travelled round, till our heads travelled just the same way.

1820. Randall, Diary. In search of lark, or some delicious gig, The mind delights on, when ’tis in prime twig.

1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, i., 3. I hope we shall have many a bit of gig together.

1888. Besant, Fifty Years Ago, p. 134. A laughter-loving lass of eighteen who dearly loved a bit of gig.

9. (old).—The mouth. For synonyms, see Potato-trap.

1871. Finish to Tom and Jerry, p. 175 (ed. 1872). The bit of myrtle in his gig.

10. (old).—A farthing. Formerly grig (q.v.).

11. (American).—See Policy Dealing.

Verb. (old).—To hamstring.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. To gigg a Smithfield hank, to hamstring an overdrove ox.

By Gigs! intj. (old).—A mild and silly oath. See Oaths.

1551. W. Still, Gammer Gurton’s Needle, ii., 51. Chad a foule turne now of late, chill tell it you, by gigs!

Gigamaree, subs. (American).—A thing of little worth; a pretty but useless toy; a gimcrack (q.v.).

1848. Jones, Sketches of Travel, p. 9. Byin’ fineries and northern gigamarees of one kind or another.

Ibid. I ax’d the captain what sort of a gigamaree he had got up there for a flag.

Gigantomachize, verb. (old).—To rise in revolt against one’s betters. Gr., Gigantomachia = the War of the Giants against the Gods. [Probably a coinage of Ben Jonson’s.]

1599. Jonson, Every Man Out, Act v., 4. Slight, fed with it the whoreson, strummel-patched, goggle-eyed grumble-dores would have gigantomachized their Maker.

Gigger, subs. (tailors’).—1. A sewing machine. (In allusion to noise and movement).

2. See Jigger.

Giggles-nest. Have you found a giggles-nest? phr. (old).—Asked of a person tittering, or one who laughs immoderately and senselessly.

Gig-lamps, subs. (common).—1. Spectacles. For synonyms, see Barnacles.

1848. Bradley, in Letter to J. C. H. Gig-lamps (certainly a university term. I first heard it in 1848 or 1849, long before Mr. Verdant Green was born or thought of).

1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. ii., p. 140. You with the gig-lamps, throw us your cigar.

1887. Punch, 30 July, p. 45. Jack’s a straw-thatched young joker in gig-lamps.

1892. F. Anstey, Voces Populi. ‘At the Tudor Exhibition.’ Stop, though, suppose she has spotted me? Never can tell with giglamps.

2. (common).—One who wears spectacles; a four eyes (q.v.). [Popularised by Verdant Green.]

Gigler (or Giglet, Goglet, Gigle, Gig), subs. (old).—A wanton; a mistress. Giglet (West of England) = a giddy, romping girl; and in Salop a flighty person is called a giggle. Cf., Gig, sense 1.

1533. Udal, Floures for Latine Spekynge, fo. 101. What is the matter, foolish giglotte? What meanest thou? Whereat laughest thou?

1567. Harman, Caveat, leaf 22, back. Therefore let us assemble secretly into the place where he hath appoynted to meet this gyleot that is at your house.

1603. Shakspeare, Measure for Measure, v., 1. Let him speak no more: away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate companion.

1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Gadrouillette, minx, gigle, flirt.

1620. Massienger, Fatal Dowry, Act. iii. If this be The recompence of striving to preserve A wanton gigglet honest, very shortly ’Twill make all mankind pandars.

1690. B. E., Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Gigglers, wanton women.

Adj. (old).—Loose in word and deed. Also giglet-like, and giglet-wise = like a wanton.

1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., Act v., Sc. 1. Young Talbot was not born To be the pillage of a giglot wench.

1600. Fairfax, Jerusalem Delivered, vi., 72. That thou wilt gad by night in giglet-wise, Amid thine armed foes to seek thy shame.

Gild, verb. (old).—To make drunk; to flush with drink.

1609. Shakspeare, Tempest, Act v., Sc. 1. This grand liquor that hath gilded them.

1620. Fletcher, Chances, iv., 3. Is she not drunk, too? A little gilded o’er, sir.

To gild the pill, phr. (colloquial).—To say, or do, unpleasant things as gently as may be; to impose upon; to bamboozle (q.v.).

Gilded Rooster, subs. phr. (American).—A man of importance; a howling swell (q.v.); sometimes the gilded rooster on the top of the steeple. Cf., big-bug; big dog of the tanyard, etc.

1888. New York Herald. We admit that as a metropolis Chicago is the gilded rooster on top of the steeple, but even gilded roosters have no right to the whole corn bin.

Gilderoy’s Kite. To be hung higher than gilderoy’s kite, verb. phr. (old).—To be punished more severely than the very worst criminals. ‘The greater the crime the higher the gallows’ was at one time a practical legal axiom. Hence, out of sight; completely gone.

Giles’ Greek. See St. Giles’ Greek.

Gilguy, subs. (nautical).—Anything which happens to have slipped the memory; equivalent to what’s-his-name or thingamytight.

Gilkes, subs. (old).—Skeleton keys.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). Gilkes or the Gigger, false keyes for the doore or picklockes.

Gill (or Jill), subs. (old).—1. A girl; (2) a sweetheart: e.g., ‘every Jack must have his Gill’; (3) a wanton, a strumpet (an abbreviation of gillian). For synonyms, see Jomer and Titter.

1586–1606. Warner, Albion’s England, bk. vii., ch. 37. The simplest gill or knave.

1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes, Palandrina, a common queane, a harlot, a strumpet, a gill.

1620. Percy, Folio MSS., p. 104. There is neuer a Jacke for gill.

1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.

2. (common).—a drink; a go (q.v.).

1785. Burns, Scots Drink. Haill breeks, a scone, and whisky gill.

3. in. pl. ‘g’ hard (colloquial).—The mouth or jaws; the face. See Potato-trap and Dial.

1622. Bacon, Historia Naturalis. Redness about the cheeks and gills.

1632. Jonson, Magnetic Lady, i. He … draws all the parish wills, Designs the legacies, and strokes the gills of the chief mourners.

b. 1738. Wolcot, Pindar’s Works (1809), i., 8. Whether you look all rosy round the gills, Or hatchet-fac’d like starving cats so lean.

1820. Lamb, Elia (Two Races of Men). What a careless, even deportment hath your borrower! what rosy gills!

1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. viii. Binnie, as brisk and rosy about the gills as chanticleer, broke out in a morning salutation.

1884. Punch. He went a bit red in the gills.

4. in. pl. (common).—A very large shirt collar; also stick-ups and sideboards. Fr.: cache-bonbon-à-liqueur = a stick-up.

1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 6 p., in Part 7. With a red face, shaven to the superlative degree of shininess, with gills white and tremendous, with a noble white waistcoat.

1884. Daily Telegraph, July 8, p. 5, c. 4. Lord Macaulay wore, to the close of his life, ‘stick-ups,’ or gills.

To grease the gills.—verb. phr. (common).—To have a good meal; to wolf (q.v.).

To look blue (or queer, or green) about the gills, verb. phr. (common).—To be downcast or dejected; also to suffer from the effects of a debauch. Hence, conversely, to be rosy about the gills = to be cheerful.

1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ch. ii. Most of them were very white and blue in the gills when we sat down, and others of a dingy sort of whitey-brown, while they ogled the viands in a most suspicious manner.

1892. G. Manville Fenn, Witness to the Deed, ch. ii. You look precious seedy. White about the gills.

A cant (or dig) in the gills, phr. (pugilists’).—A punch in the face. See Bang.

Gill-flirt, subs. (old).—A wanton; a flirt. For synonyms, see Barrack Hack and Tart.

1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes.

1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Gaultiere, a whore, punke, drab, queane, gill, flirt.

1690. B. E., Dict, of the Cant. Crew, s.v. A proud minx.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

Gilly, subs. (American).—A fool. For synonyms, see Buffle and Cabbage-head.

Gilly-gaupus, subs. phr. (Scots).—A tall loutish fellow.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gilt, subs. (popular).—1. Money. [Ger.: Geld; Du.: Geld.]

English Synonyms.—Add to those under Actual:—Charms; checks; cole or coal; coliander seeds; corn in Egypt; crap; darby; dots; ducats; gingerbread; kelter; lowie; lurries; moss; oil of palms; palm-oil; peck; plums; rhino; rivets; salt; sawdust; scad; screen; scuds; shigs; soap; spoon; steven; sugar; tea-spoons; tinie.

French Synonyms.—Le galtos (popular); l’odeur de gousset (obsolete); l’onguent (= palm grease, Sp., unguento; the simile is common to most languages); le morlingue (thieves’); la menouille (popular); le michon (thieves’: from miche, a loaf, cf., Loaver); les monacos (popular); le monarque (prostitutes’: primarily a five franc piece); le blé (= corn or loaver); les étoffes (thieves’).

Spanish Synonyms.—La lana (= wool); la morusa (colloquial); la mosca (= the flies); lo numerario; la pelusa (= down); lo zurraco (colloquial); lo unguento de Mejico (= Mexican Grease); a’ toca teja (colloquial: ready money); caire.

Italian Synonyms.—Cucchi; cuchieri; cucchielli; lugani.

German Synonyms.—Fuchs (= fox: an allusion to the ruddy hue of gold pieces); fuxig or fuxern = golden, red; fuchsmelochener (= goldsmith); gips or gyps (Viennese thieves’, from the Latin, gypsum); hora (= ready-money: from the Hebrew heren); kall (Han: especially small change: from Heb. kal = lowly light); kis, kies, kiss (applied both to money in general and the receptacle or purse in which it is carried); lowe, love (Han.); mepaie (from the Fr., payer) mesumme, linke mesumme (= counterfeit money); moos (from Heb., mëo = a little stone); pich, picht, or pech; staub (= dust).

1599. Shakspeare, Henry V., Act ii. Chorus. These corrupted men … have for the gilt of France (O guilt, indeed) Confirmed conspiracy.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 9. And from thence conducted (provided he has gilt) over the way to Hell.

1885. Daily News, 25 May, p. 3, c. 1. Disputatious like mobs grouped together to discuss whether Charrington or Crowder had the most gilt.

2. subs. (old).—A thief; a pick-lock; also gilt- or rum-dubber, gilter, etc.

1669. Nicker Nicked in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), ii., 108 (given in list of names of thieves).

1673. Character of a Quack Astrologer. For that purpose he maintains as strict a correspondence with gilts and lifters.

1676. Warning for Housekeepers, p. 3. The gilter is one that hath all sorts of picklocks and false keys.

1680. Cotton, Complete Gamester, p. 333. Shoals of muffs, hectors, setters, gilts, pads, biters, etc. … may all pass under the general appellation of snobs.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1882. McCabe, New York, ch. xxxiv., 509. Gilt-dubber, a hotel thief.

3. (thieves’).—Formerly a pick-lock or skeleton key; now a crow-bar. For synonyms, see Jemmy.

1671. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. 1, ch. v., p. 50 (1874). Gilt, a pick-lock.

1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Gilt, c. a pick-lock.

1839. W. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, p. 183 (ed. 1840). We shall have the whole village upon us while you’re striking the jigger. Use the gilt, man!

To take the gilt off the gingerbread, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To destroy an illusion; to discount heavily.

1884. Hawley Smart, From Post to Finish, p. 171. You see we had a rattling good year all round last, bar the Dancing Master. He took the gilt off the gingerbread considerably.

Gilt-dubber, see gilt, sense 2.

Gilt-edged, adj. (American).—First-class; the best of its kind; a latter-day superlative. For synonyms, see A1 and Fizzing.

c. 1889. Chicago Tribune (quoted in Slang, Jargon, and Cant). He’s a gilt-edged idiot to play the game.

1891. Standard, 18 June, p. 2, c. 1. ‘Gilt-edged mutton’ is the latest of glorified and ‘boomed’ American products.

1891. Tit Bits, 8 Aug., p. 286, c. 2. Another accomplishment, peculiar to the gilt-edged academy, is learning to eat asparagus, oranges, grapes, etc.

Gilter, see gilt, sense 2.

Gilt-tick, subs. (costermongers’). Gold.

Gimbal- (or gimber-) Jawed, adj. (common).—Loquacious; talking nineteen to the dozen (q.v.). [Gimbals are a combination of rings for free suspension; hence applied to persons the joints of whose jaws are loose in speech.]

Gimcrack (Gincrack, or Jimcrack), subs. (old).—1. A showy simpleton, male or female; a dandy (q.v.).

1618. Beaumont and Fletcher, Loyal Subject, iv., 3. These are fine gimcracks; hey, here comes another, a flagon full of wine in his hand.

1637. Fletcher, Elder Brother, iii., 3. You are a handsome and a sweet young lady, And ought to have a handsome man yoked to ye. An understanding too; this is a gimcrack That can get nothing but new fashions on you.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Canting Crew. Gimcrack, a spruce wench.

1706. Mrs. Centlivre, Basset Table, II., Works (1872), i., 122. The philosophical gimcrack.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

2. (colloquial).—A showy trifle; anything pretty to look at but of very little worth.

1632. Chapman and Shirley, The Ball, Act iv. Lu. There remains, To take away one sample. Wi. Another gimcrack?

1678. Butler, Hudibras, pt. 3, ch. i. Rifled all his pokes and fobs. Cf., gimcracks, whims, and jiggumbobs.

1698–1700. Ward, London Spy, pt. 7, p. 148. I suppose there being little else to lose except scenes, machines, or some such jim-cracks.

1843. Thackeray, Irish Sketch Book, ch. i. There was the harp of Brian Boru, and the sword of some one else, and other cheap old gimcracks with their corollary of lies.

1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 63. Such rum-looking gimcracks, my pippin.

3. (provincial).—A handy man; a jack-of-all-trades (q.v.).

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. A gimcrack also means a person who has a turn for mechanical contrivances.

4. (venery).—The female pudendum. [A play on sense 2, and crack, (q.v.).] For synonym, see Monosyllable.

Adj. (colloquial).—Trivial; showy; worthless.

1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. ix. No shops so beautiful to look at as the Brighton gimcrack shops, and the fruit shops, and the market.

1891. W. C. Russell, An Ocean Tragedy, p. 30. Soberly clothed with nothing more gimcrack in the way of finery upon him than a row of waistcoat-buttons.

1892. Tit Bits, 19 Mar., p. 425 c. 2. A large cabinet or wardrobe, beautifully carved, and very substantial, no gimcrack work.

Gimcrackery, subs. (colloquial).—The world of gimcrack (q.v.).

1884. A. Forbes, in Eng. Illustr. Mag., Jan., p. 230. The inner life of the Empire was a strange mixture of rottenness and gimcrackery.

Gimlet-eye, subs. (common).—A squint-eye; a piercer (q.v.). Fr.: des yeux en trou de pine.

Gimlet-eyed, adj. (common).—Squinting, or squinny-eyed; cock-eyed. As in the old rhyme: ‘Gimlet eye, sausage nose, Hip awry, bandy toes.’

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gimmer, subs. (Scots’).—An old woman. A variant of ‘cummer.’

Gin, subs. (Australian).—An Australian native woman.

1857. Kingsley, Two Years Ago, ch. xiii. An Australian settler’s wife bestows on some poor slaving gin a cast-off French bonnet.

1890. Hume Nisbet, Bail Up!, p. 30.

2. (Australian).—An old woman. For synonyms, see Geezer.

Gin-and-gospel Gazette, subs. phr. (journalists’).—The Morning Advertiser: as the organ of the Licensed Victualling and Church of England party. Also the Tap-tub and beer-and-bible gazette.

Gin-and-Tidy, adv. phr. (American).—Decked out in ‘best bib and tucker.’ A pun on ‘neat spirits.’

Gin-crawl, subs. (common).—A tipple (q.v.) on gin.

1892. A. Chevalier, ‘The Little Nipper.’ I used to do a gin crawl ev’ry night, An’ very, very often come ’ome tight.

Gingambobs (or Jiggumbobs), subs. (common).—1. Toys; baubles.

1690. B. E. Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

2. (venery).—The testicles; also thingambobs. For synonyms, see Cods.

Ginger, subs. (common).—1. A fast, showy horse; a beast that looks figged (q.v.).

1859. Notes and Queries, 17 Dec. p. 493. A ginger is a showy fast horse.

2. (common).—A red-haired person; carrots (q.v.). [Whence the phrase (venery) ‘Black for beauty, ginger for pluck.’]

1885. Miss Tennant in Eng. Illustrated Magazine, June, p. 605. The policemen are well known to the boys, and appropriately named by them. There is ‘Jumbo,’ too stout to run; ginger, the red-haired.

3. (common).—Spirit; dash; go (q.v.). To want ginger = to lack energy and pluck (q.v.).

1888. The World, 13 May. You will remark that your spinal column is requiring a hinge, and that considerable ginger is departing from your resolution to bear up and enjoy yourself.

1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody of Nowhere, p. 124. If father objects send him to me, I’ll take the ginger out of him in short order.

1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker; p. 207. Give her ginger, boys.

Adj. (common).—Red-haired; foxy (q.v.); judas-haired (q.v.). Also ginger-pated, ginger-hackled, and gingery.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Red-haired; a term borrowed from the cock-pit, where red cocks are called gingers.

1839. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, ch. xii. Somebody may be on the watch—perhaps that old ginger-hackled Jew.

1852. Dickens, Bleak House, ch. xix., p. 160. The very learned gentleman who has cooled the natural heat of his gingery complexion in pools and fountains of law, until he has become great in knotty arguments for term-time.

1878. M. E. Braddon, Cloven Foot, ch. iv. The landlady was a lean-looking widow, with a false front of gingery curls.

Gingerbread, subs. (old).—1. Money: e.g., ‘He has the gingerbread’ = he is rich.

1690. B. E. Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood. Your old dad had the gingerbread.

1864. Standard, 13 Dec. We do not find … the word gingerbread used for money, as we have heard it both before and within the last six months. The origin of the use of the word may probably be the old fairy legends wherein the coin obtained over night from the elves was usually found in the morning to have turned into little gingerbread cakes.

2. (colloquial).—Brummagem (q.v.); showy, but worthless ware.

Adj. (colloquial).—Showy but worthless; tinsel. Fr., en pain d’épice. Gingerbread work (nautical) = carved and gilded decorations; gingerbread quarters (nautical) = luxurious living.

1757. Smollett, Compendium of Voyages and Travels. The rooms are too small and too much decorated with carving and gilding, which is a kind of gingerbread work.

To take the gilt off the gingerbread. See gilt.

Gingerly, adj. and adv. (old: now recognised).—As adj., delicate; fastidious; dainty; as adv., with great care; softly.

1533. Udal, Floures for Latine Spekynge. We stayghe and prolonge our goyng, with a nyce or tendre and softe, delicate, or gingerly pace.

c. 1563. Jacke Jugeler, p. 40 (ed. Grosart). We used to call her at home Dame Coye, a pretie gingerlie pice [piece].

1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse, in Wks., ii., 32. That lookes as simperingly as if she were besmeared, and sits it as gingerly as if she were dancing the Canaries.

1611. Chapman, May-Day, Act iii., p. 294 (Plays, 1874). Come, come, gingerly; for God’s sake, gingerly.

1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, q.v.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. Gently, softly, easily.

1759–67. Sterne, Tristram Shandy, vol. V., ch. v. My mother was going very gingerly in the dark.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. To go gingerly to work, i.e., to attempt a thing gently, or cautiously.

1874. Mrs. H. Wood, Johnny Ludlow, 1 S. 12, p. 207. The Squire went in gingerly, as if he had been treading on a spiked ploughshare.

Ginger-pop, subs. (colloquial).—1. Ginger-beer.

2. (rhyming).—A policeman; a slop (q.v.).

1887. Dagonet, Referee, 7 Nov., p. 7, c. 3. Ere her bull-dog I could stop, She had called a ginger-pop.

Ginger-snap, subs. (American).—A hot-tempered person, especially one with carrotty hair.

Gingham, subs. (common).—An umbrella; specifically one of this material. For synonyms, see Mushroom.

1868. Miss Braddon, Trail of the Serpent, Bk. I., ch. vii. Mr. Peters therefore took immediate possession by planting his honest gingham in a corner of the room.

1889. Sportsman, 2 Feb. It would really put a premium on the many little mistakes of ownership concerning ginghams at present so common.

Gingle-boy, subs. (old).—A coin; latterly a gold piece. Also Gingler. See Actual and Canary.

1622. Massinger and Dekker, Virgin Martyr, ii., 2. The sign of the gingleboys hangs at the door of our pockets.

Gingumbobs. See Gingambobs.

Ginicomtwig, verb. (venery).—To copulate. For synonyms, see Ride.

1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, Scuotere il pellicione. To ginicomtwig or occupie a woman.

Gin-lane (or Trap), subs. (common).—1. The throat. For synonyms, see Gutter-alley. Gin-trap, also = the mouth. For synonyms, see Potato-trap.

1827. Egan, Anecdotes of the Turf, p. 67. Never again could … he feel his ivories loose within his gin-trap.

2. (common).—Generic for the habit of drunkenness.

1839. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], p. 8. Let me advise you on no account to fly to strong waters for consolation, Joan. One nail drives out another, it’s true; but the worst nail you can employ is a coffin nail. Gin Lane’s the nearest road to the churchyard.

Gin-mill, subs. (American).—A drinking saloon. For synonyms, see Lush-crib.

1872. Belgravia, Dec. ‘A Presidential Election.’ Then goes off to rejoin his comrades, to adjourn to the nearest gin-mill.

Ginnified, subs. (common).—Dazed, or stupid, with liquor.

Ginnums, subs. (common).—An old woman: especially one fond of drink.

Ginny, subs. (old).—A housebreaker’s tool; see quot., 1754.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1754. Scoundrels’ Dict. An instrument to lift up a grate or grating, to steal what is in the window. ‘The ninth is a ginny, to lift up the grate, If he sees but the Lurry, with his Hooks he will bait.’

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gin-penny, subs. (costermongers’).—Extra profit, generally spent in drink.

Gin-slinger, subs. (common).—A gin-drinker. For synonyms, see Lushington.

Gin-spinner, subs. (old).—A distiller; a dealer in spirituous liquors. Cf., Ale-spinner.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1827. Egan, Anecdotes of the Turf, p. 179. Just as she was about to toddle to the gin-spinner’s for the ould folk and lisp out for a quartern of Max.

1888. F. Green, in Notes and Queries, 7 S., vi., 153. I have always understood that a gin spinner is a distiller who makes gin, but could never find out why so called.

Gin-twist, subs. (common).—A drink composed of gin and sugar, with lemon and water.

1841. Comic Almanac, p. 271 What, for instance, but gin-twist could have brought Oliver Twist to light?

Gin Up, verb. (American).—To work hard; to make things lively or hum (q.v.). For synonyms, see Wire in.

1887. Francis, Saddle and Moccassin. They were ginning her up, that’s a fact.

Gip, subs. (American thieves’).—1. A thief. 2. Also (Cambridge University) a college servant. See Gyp. For synonyms, see Thieves.

Girl, subs. (common).—1. A prostitute; in. pl. = the stock in trade of a brothel. See Barrack Hack, Tart, and Gay. Fr., fille.

2. (colloquial).—A mistress; a mash (q.v.).

3. In. pl. (venery).—The sex—or that part of it which is given to unchastity—in general; hence the girls = lechery.

After the girls. He’s been after the girls, verb. phr. (common).—Said of one with clap or pox.

Girl and Boy, subs. phr. (rhyming). A saveloy.

Girlery, subs. (colloquial).—A brothel. Also a theatre for burlesque and comic opera.

Girl-getter, subs. (colloquial).—A mincing, womanish male.

Girling. To go Girling, verb. phr. (venery).—To quest for women; to go on the loose (q.v.).

Girlometer, subs. (venery).—The penis. Also, Girl-catcher. For synonyms, see Creamstick and Prick.

Girl-shop, subs. phr. (common).—A brothel.

Girl-show, subs. phr. (common).—A ballet, a burlesque, a leg-piece (q.v.).

Girl Street. In Hair Court, Girl Street, subs. phr. (common).—Generic for fornication. Also the female pudendum.

Girl-trap, subs. phr. (common).—A seducer; a mutton-monger (q.v.).

Git! (or You Git!), intj. (American).—Be off with you! An injunction to immediate departure; walker! (q.v.). Sometimes a contraction of get out! Also get out and dust!

1851. Seaworthy, Bertie, p. 78. Thrue as the tin commandhers! Git aout!

To have no git up and git, phr. (American).—To be weak, vain, mean, or slow—generally deprecatory.

Give, verb. (vulgar).—1. To lead to; to conduct; to open upon: e.g., ‘The door gave upon the street.’ Cf. the idiomatic use, in French, of donner.

2. (American).—An all-round auxiliary to active verbs: e.g., to give on praying = to excel at prayer; to give on the make = to be clever at making money, etc.

To give it to, verb. phr. (old).—1. To rob; to defraud.—Grose.

2. (common).—To scold; to thrash. Also to give what for; to give it hot; to give something for oneself; to give one in the eye, etc. Fr., aller en donner. For synonyms, see Wig and Tan respectively.

1612. Chapman, Widow’s Tears, Act i., p. 312 (Plays, 1874). This braving wooer hath the success expected; the favour I obtained made me witness to the sport, and let his confidence be sure, I’ll give it him home.

1835. Dickens, Sketches by Boz, p. 134. ‘Take that,’ exclaimed Mr. Samuel Wilkins.… ‘Give it him,’ said the waistcoat.… Miss J’mima Ivins’s beau and the friend’s young man lay gasping on the gravel, and the waistcoat and whiskers were seen no more.

1889. J. M. Barrie in Time, Aug. p. 148. When he said he would tell everybody in the street about there being a baby, I gave him one in the eye. Ibid. If it’s true what Symons Tertius says, that Cocky has gone and stolen my reminiscences about Albert’s curls, putting it into his reminiscences like as if it was his own, I’ll give him it hot.

To give in (or out), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To admit defeat; to yield; to be exhausted; to throw up the sponge. See Floored and Cave in.

1748. Smollett, Rod. Random, ch. xviii. Strap, after having received three falls on the hard stones, gave out, and allowed the blacksmith to be the better man.

1760–1. Smollett, L. Greaves, vol. II., ch. viii. By this time the doctor had given out, and allowed the brewer to be the better man.

1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 25. Poor Georgy gave in.

1837. Lytton, Ernest Maltravers, bk. IV., ch. ix. Your time is up … you have had your swing, and a long one it seems to have been—you must now give in.

1847. Robb, Squatter Life, p. 99. Jest about then both on our pusses gin out.

1850. Buffum, Six Months in the Gold Mines, p. 73. After working three days with the machine, the earth we had been washing began to give out.

1852. Dickens, Bleak House, ch. xxiv., p. 217. I am surprised to hear a man of your energy talk of giving in.

To give away, verb. phr. (American).—To betray or expose inadvertently; to blow upon (q.v.): to peach (q.v. for synonyms). Also to give dead away. Largely used in combination: e.g., give-away = an exposure; give-away cue = an underhand revelation of secrets.

1883. F. M. Crawford, Doctor Claudius, ch. vi., p. 100. It always amused him to see sanguine people angry. They looked so uncomfortable, and gave themselves away so recklessly.

1886. A. Lang, Longman’s Mag., VII., 321. I know not whether the American phrase, to give a person away, to give yourself away, meaning to reveal your own or another’s secret, is of provincial English origin. Did it cross over with the Pilgrim Fathers in the May Flower, or is it a recent bit of slang? ‘Who giveth this woman away?’ asked the rural American parson in the wedding service. ‘I could,’ came the voice of a young man from the gallery, ‘but I’d never be so mean.’

1888. Detroit Free Press, Aug. Careful what we say, for it will give us dead away.

1889. Answers, 20 Apr., p. 326. My closely cropped hair, however, gave me away.

1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 195. For the sake of the joke I’ll give myself away.

To give one best, verb. phr. (schoolboys’).—1. To acknowledge one’s inferiority, a defeat. Also (thieves’) to leave, to cut (q.v.).

1887. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. But after a time I gave him best (left him), because he used to want to bite my ear (borrow) too often.

To give the collar, verb. phr. (American).—To seize; to arrest; to collar (q.v.). For synonyms, see Nab.

To give the bullet (sack, bag, kick-out, pike, road, etc.), verb. phr. (common).—To discharge from an employ.

Give us a rest! phr. (American).—Cease talking! An injunction upon a bore.

To give nature a fillip, verb. phr. (old).—To indulge in wine or women.—B. E. (1690).

To give way, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To permit the sexual embrace: by women only.

1870. Weekly Times, 1 May. She was sorry to say, she gave way to him. (Laughter.) Mr. Maude remarked she was a foolish woman, and, being a widow, ought to have known what giving way would come to.—Complainant said of course she did, but she thought he meant to marry her.

[Other combinations will be found under the following: auctioneer; back cap; bag; bail; baste; beans; beef; biff; black eye; bone; bucket; bullet; bull’s feather; clinch; double; fig; gas; go by; gravy; hoist; hot beef; jesse; kennedy; key of the street; land; leg up; lip; miller; mitten; mouth; needle; office; points; pussy; rub of the thumb; sack; sky-high; slip; tail; taste of cream; turnips; weight; white alley; word.]

Giver, subs. (pugilistic).—A good boxer; an artist in punishment (q.v.).

1824. Reynolds, (‘Peter Corcoran’), The Fancy, p. 73. She knew a smart blow from a handsome giver Would darken lights.

Gixie, subs. (obsolete).—A wanton wench; a strumpet; an affected mincing woman.

1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Faina, a mincing, coie, nice, puling, squeamish woman, an idle huswife, a flurt, a gixgi. Also as Foina [i.e., ‘a pole-cat’; while Foirare = ‘to lust for beastly leacherie, to be salt as a bitch.’]

1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie, s.v. Gadrouillette, a minx, gigle, flirt, callet gixie: (a fained word applyable to any such cattell). [See further, gadriller (a wench) = ‘to rump or play the rig’].

Gizzard, to fret one’s gizzard, verb. phr. (common).—To worry oneself. See Fret.

To stick in one’s gizzard, verb. phr. (common).—To remain as something unpleasant, distasteful or offensive; to be hard of digestion; to be disagreeable or unpalatable.

c. 1830. Finish of Tom and Jerry, p. 241. It had always stuck in his gizzard to think as how he had been werry cruelly used.

To grumble in the gizzard, verb. phr. (common).—To be secretly displeased. Hence, grumble-gizzard (q.v.).

Gladstone, subs. (common)—1. Cheap claret. [Mr. Gladstone, when in office in 1869, reduced the duty on French wines.] See Drinks.

1876. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly, ch. ix. Claret certainly good, too—none of your Gladstone tap; sherry probably rather coarse.

1885. A. Birrell, Obiter Dicta, p. 86. To make him unbosom himself over a bottle of Gladstone claret in a tavern in Leicester Square.

2. (colloquial).—A travelling bag. [So named in honour of Mr. Gladstone.]

Gladstonize, verb. (colloquial).—To talk about and round; to evade or prevaricate; to speak much and mean nothing.

Glanthorne, subs. (old).—Money. For synonyms, see Actual and Gilt.

1789. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 42. Drop the glanthorne = part with money.

Glasgow Greys, subs. phr. (military).—The 70th Foot. [Which in the beginning was largely recruited in Glasgow.]

1886. Tinsley’s Mag., Apr., p. 321. The 70th were long known as the Glasgow Greys.

Glasgow Magistrate, subs. phr. (common).—A herring, fresh or salted, of the finest. [From the practice of sending samples to the Baillie of the River for approval.] Also Glasgow Baillie.

1855. Strang, Glasgow and its City Clubs. This club … better known by the title of the Tinkler’s club, particularly when the brotherhood changed the hour of meeting … and when the steak was exchanged for a ‘Welsh rabbit’ or Glasgow magistrate.

English Synonyms. (for herrings generally).—Atlantic ranger; Californian; Cornish duck; Digby chicken; Dunbar wether; gendarme; Gourock ham; magistrate; pheasant (or Billingsgate pheasant); reds; sea-rover; soldier; Taunton turkey; two-eye’d steak; Yarmouth capon. Fr.: gendarme.

Glass, subs. (American thieves’).—An hour. [An abbreviation of ‘hour-glass.’]

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. The badger piped his Moll about a glass and a half before she cribbed the flat.

There’s a deal of glass about, phr. (common).—1. Applied to vulgar display = ‘It’s the thing’ (q.v.).

2. (common).—Said in answer to an achievement in assertion. A memory of the proverb, ‘People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.’

Who’s to pay for the broken glass? verb. phr. (colloquial).—See Stand the Racket.

Been looking through a glass, adv. phr. (common).—Drunk. For synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed.

Glass-eyes, subs. (old).—A man wearing spectacles; four-eyes (q.v.); gig-lamps (q.v.).

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

Glass-house. To live in a glass house, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To lay oneself open to attack or adverse criticism.

Glass-work, subs. (card-sharpers’).—An obsolete method of cheating at cards. A convex mirror the size of a small coin was fastened with shellac to the lower corner of the left palm opposite the thumb, enabling the dealer to ascertain by reflection the value of the cards he dealt.

Glaze, subs. (old),—A window.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 12. Glaze, a Window.

1754. Discoveries of John Poulter, p. 43. Undub the Jeger and jump the glaze.

1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant (3rd ed.), p. 445. A window, glaze.

c. 1830. Finish to Tom and Jerry [1872], p. 82. A random shot milling the glaze.

Verb (old).—To cheat at cards. See quot. and Glass-work.

1821. P. Egan, Real Life, I., 297. If you take the broads in hand in their company, you are sure to be work’d, either by glazing, that is, putting you in front of a looking glass, by which means your hand is discovered by your antagonist, or by private signals from the pal.

To mill (or star a glaze), verb. phr. (old).—To break a window.

1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, iii., 2. Jerry. What are you about, Tom? Tom. I’m going to mill the glaze—I’ll——(Is about to break the glass, when Kate and Sue appear as the Miss Trifles.).

1823. Jon Bee, Dict. of the Turf. Glaze, s.v., to mill the glaze, the miller may adopt a stick or otherwise, as seems most convenient.

On the glaze, adv. phr. (thieves’).—Robbing jewellers’ shops by smashing the windows. See Glazier.

1724–34. C. Johnson, Highwaymen and Pyrates, q.v.

1889. Ally Sloper, 4 May. Getting a reprieve he went to Dublin on the glaze.

Glazier, subs., in. pl. (old).—1. The eyes. For synonyms, see Glims. Fr.: les ardents.

1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 64. Glasyers, eyes.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). Glasiers, eyes.

1611. Middleton and Dekker, Roaring Girl, v., 1. These glasiers of mine, mine eyes.

1656. Brome, Jovial Crew, ii. You’re out with your glaziers.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. The cove has rum glaziers, c. that Rogue has excellent Eyes, or an Eye like a Cat.

1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Glaziers, c. eyes.

1725. New Canting Dict. ‘Song.’ Her glaziers, too, are quite benighted.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue s.v.

2. (old).—A window thief. Cf., Glaze.

1725. New Cant. Dict. Song ‘The Twenty Craftsmen.’… A glazier who when he creeps in, To pinch all the lurry he thinks it no sin.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Gleaner, subs. (old).—A thief. Cf., Hooker, Angler, etc. For synonyms, see Thieves.

Glib, subs. (common).—1. The tongue. Slacken your glib = loose your tongue. For synonyms, see Clack.

2. (old).—A ribbon.

1754. Discoveries of John Poulter, p. 42. A lobb full of glibbs, a box full of ribbons.

Adj. (old, now recognised).—Smooth; slippery; voluble; glib-tongued or glib-gabbit (cf., Gab) = talkative; ready of speech.

1605. Shakspeare, Lear, Act i., Sc. 1. I want that glib and oily art, To speak and purpose not.

1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. Smooth, without a Rub. Glib-tongued. Voluble or Nimble-tongued.

1890. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 31 Jan. The rest who were so glib with their promises.

Glibe, subs. (American thieves’).—Writing; specifically, a written statement.

Glim (or Glym), subs. (old).—1. A candle, or dark lanthorn; a fire or light of any kind. To douse the glim = to put out the light. Fr.: estourbir la cabande. Also short for Glimmer or Glymmar (q.v.).

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. A Dark Lanthorn used in Robbing Houses; also to burn in the Hand.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 12. Glim, a Candle.

1728. Bailey, Eng. Dict. Glim, s.v. A candle or light.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Bring bess and glym; i.e., bring the instrument to force the door, and the dark lanthorn.

1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii., 2. Tom. Then catch—here’s the gentlemen’s tooth-picker, and here’s his glim. (Throws stick and lanthorn to Jerry.)

1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. 5. Every star its glim at hiding.

1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. 16. Let’s have a glim … or we shall go breaking our necks.

1837. Lytton, Ernest Maltravers, Bk. I., ch. 10. ‘Hush, Jack!’ whispered one; ‘hang out the glim and let’s look about us.’

1852. Judson, Myst., etc., of New York, ch. iv. Old Jack bade Harriet trim the glim.

1883. R. L. Stevenson, Treasure Island, p. 89. Sure enough, they left their glim here.

1884. Henley and Stevenson, Admiral Guinea, ii., 6. Now here is my little glim; it aint for me because I’m blind.

2. (old).—A sham account of a fire as sold by flying stationers (q.v.).

1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 233. His papers certify any and every ‘ill that flesh is heir to’.… Loss by fire is a glim.

3. in. pl. (common).—The eyes.

English Synonyms.—Blinkers; daylights; deadlights; glaziers; lights; lamps; ogles; optics; orbs; peepers; sees; squinters; toplights; windows; winkers.

French Synonyms.—Les quinquets (popular = bright eyes, Vidocq); les mirettes (popular and thieves’; Italian: mira = sight); les reluits (thieves’: also daymans—or lightmans [q.v.]); les calots (thieves’ = marbles); les châsses or les châssis (popular = hunters’); les lampions (thieves’ = lamps (q.v.); Italian: lanterna and lampante); les apics (thieves’); les ardents (thieves’ = piercers); les œillets (popular = eyelets); les lanternes de cabriolet (popular = giglamps); les clignots (popular = winkers); les carreaux (thieves’ = windows); les clairs (thieves’ = shiners); les coquards (thieves’).

Italian Synonyms.—Lanterna (= a lamp); calchi; balchi; brunotti (= brownies); lampante.

Spanish Synonyms.—Fanal (= lantern); lanterna (= idem); visantes (vulgar); vistosos (vulgar).

German Synonyms.—Dierling (from stieren = to stare); Linzer; Scheinling (from Schein = daylights (q.v.)).

1824. P. Egan, Boxiana, iv., 417. His glims I’ve made look like a couple of rainbows.

1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 47 [ed. 1854]. Queer my glims, if that ben’t little Paul!

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, II., 339. Harold escaped with the loss of a glim.

1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 56. A pooty gal, gentle, or simple, as carn’t use her glims is a flat.

4. in. pl. (common).—A pair of spectacles. For synonyms, see Barnacles.

5. (common).—Gonorrhœa or clap (q.v.). [From sense 1 = fire.]

Verb (old).—To brand or burn in the hand.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. As the cull was Glimm’d, he gangs to the Nubb, c., if the Fellow has been Burnt in the Hand, he’ll be Hang’d now.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall, p. 15. Profligate women are glimm’d for that villany, for which, rather than leave it, they could freely die martyrs.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

To puff the glims, verb. phr. (veterinary).—To fill the hollow over the eyes of old horses by pricking the skin and blowing air into the loose tissues underneath, thus giving the full effect of youth.

Glim-fenders, subs. (old).—1. Andirons, or fire-dogs.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. Glimfenders, c. Andirons. Rum Glimfenders, Silver Andirons.

1728. Bailey, Eng. Dict. s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

2. (old).—Handcuffs. [A pun on sense 1.]

1823. Jon Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v.

1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London, s.v.

Glimflashly (or Glim-flashey), adj. (old).—Angry. See Nab the Rust and Hair.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. Glimflashly, c., Angry, or in a Passion. The Cull is Glimflashly, c. the Fellow is in a Heat.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, ch. xxxi. No, Captain, don’t be glim-flashey! You have not heard all yet.

Glim-jack, subs. (old).—A link boy; a moon-curser (q.v.); but, in any sense, a thief.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Glim-lurk, subs. (tramps’).—A beggars’ petition, based on a fictitious fire or glim (sense 2).

1851–61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, vol. I., p. 233. The patterer becomes a ‘lurker,’—that is, an imposter; his papers certify any and every ‘ill that flesh is heir to.’ Shipwreck is called a shake-lurk; loss by fire is a glim.

Glimmer (or Glymmar), subs. (old).—Fire. See quot.

1567. Harman, Caveat. These Demaunders for Glymmar be for the moste parte wemen.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38. (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). Glymmer, Fire.

1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 49 (1874). Glymmer, Fire.

1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.

1725. New Canting Dict., Song, ‘The Maunder’s Praise of his Strowling Mort.’ Doxy, Oh! thy Glaziers shine, As Glymmar by the Solomon.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Glimmerer, subs. (old).—A beggar working with a petition giving out that he is ruined by fire. Also glimmering mort = a female glimmerer.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. Glimmerer, c., the Twenty-second Rank of the Canting Tribe, begging with Sham Licences, pretending to Losses by Fire, etc.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Glimstick, subs. (old).—A candlestick. [From glim = a light + stick.] Fr.: une occasion.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. Glimstick, c., a Candlestick. Rum Glimsticks, c., Silver Candlesticks. Queer Glimsticks, c., Brass, Pewter, or Iron Candlesticks.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Glister, subs. phr. (thieves’).—See quot., glister of fish-hooks.

1889. Clarkson and Richardson, Police, p. 321. A glass of Irish whiskey … a glister of fish-hooks.

Glistner, subs. (old).—A sovereign. For synonyms, see Canary.

Gloak (or Gloach), subs. (old).—A man. For synonyms, see Chum and Cove.

1821. D. Haggart, Life, Glossary, pp. 48 and 172. Gloach, a man; cove.

Globe, subs. (old).—1. A pewter pot; pewter.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall, s.v.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

2. in. pl. (common).—The paps. For synonyms, see Dairy.

Globe-rangers, subs. (nautical).—The Royal Marines.

Globe-trotter, subs. (colloquial).—A traveller; primarily one who races from place to place, with the object of covering ground or making a record. Fr.: un pacquelineur.

1886. Graphic, 7 Aug., 147/1. Your mere idle gaping globetrotter will spin endless pages of unobservant twaddle, and will record his tedious wanderings with most painful minuteness.

1888. Academy, 17 Mar. The inevitable steamboat, the world, and the omnivorous globe-trotter.

1889. Echo, 9 Feb. The British globe-trotter knows Japan as he knows England, and English books about Japan are turned out by the ton.

1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 27 Jan., p. 5, c. 2. This popular definition of a quick-mover has now become effete. Miss Bly is a globe-galloper or she is nothing.

Globe-trotting, subs. (colloquial).—Travelling after the manner of globe-trotters (q.v.).

1888. Academy, 22 Sept. In fact, globe-trotting, as the Americans somewhat irreverently term it, is now frequently undertaken as a mere holiday trip.

Glope, verb. (Winchester College).—To spit. (Obsolete).

Glorious, adj. (common).—Excited with drink; ‘in one’s altitudes’; boozed. For synonyms, see drinks and screwed.

1791. Burns, Tam o’ Shanter. Kings may be blessed, but Tam was glorious, O’er a’ the ills of life victorious.

1853. Thackeray, Barry Lyndon, ch. xviii., p. 252. I knew nothing of the vow, or indeed of the tipsy frolic which was the occasion of it; I was taken up glorious, as the phrase is, by my servants, and put to bed.

1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 9 Feb. But as they all began to get glorious, personalities became more frequent and very much stronger.

Glorious Sinner, subs. phr. (rhyming).—A dinner.

Glory, subs. (common).—The after life; kingdom come (q.v.). Usually, the coming glory.

1841. Punch, 17 July, p. 2. Clara pines in secret—Hops the twig, and goes to glory in white muslin.

In one’s glory, adv. phr. (colloquial).—In the full flush of vanity, pride, taste, notion, or idiosyncracy.

Gloves, to go for the gloves, verb. phr. (racing).—To bet recklessly; to bet against a horse without having the wherewithal to pay if one loses—the last resource of the plunging turfite. The term is derived from the well-known habit of ladies to bet in pairs of gloves, expecting to be paid if they win, but not to be called upon to pay if they lose.

1877. Hawley Smart, Play or Pay, ch. xi. One of the boldest plungers of the day, who had begun badly, was going for the gloves upon this match.

1886. Badminton Library, ‘Racing,’ p. 255. Hardly worth mentioning are the backers who come in for a hit-or-miss dash at the ring—to go for the gloves, as it is called in ring parlance.

1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 3 Apr. Although we frequently read in stories of the hero backing the right horse at a long price, and so getting out of sundry monetary difficulties, we rarely find the idea realised in practice. Many a bookmaker has gone for the gloves.

Glow, adj. (tailors’).—Ashamed.

Glue, subs. (common).—1. Thick soup. (Because it sticks to the ribs.)

English Synonyms.—Deferred stock; belly-gum; giblets-twist; gut-concrete; rib-tickler; stick-in-the-ribs.

French Synonyms.—La menêtre (thieves’); la lavasse (= a mess of pot liquor); la laffe (thieves’); la jaffe (popular); l’ordinaire (popular: soup and boiled beef at an ordinary); le fond d’estomac (= thick soup); la mousse; la mouillante (= the moistener).

German Synonyms.—Jauche; Polifke.

2. (common).—Gonorrhœa.

Glue-pot, subs. (common).—A parson. [Because he joins in wedlock.] For synonyms, see Devil-dodger and Sky-pilot.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

Glum, adj. (old: now recognised).—Sullen; down in the mouth; stern. Fr.: faire son nez = to look glum; also, n’en pas mener large.

1712. Arbuthnot, Hist. of John Bull, pt. IV., ch. vii. Nic. looked sour and glum, and would not open his mouth.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

17(?). Broadside Ballad, ‘Sam Hall, The parson he will come, And he’ll look so bloody glum.’

1816. Johnson, Dict. of the English Language. Glum, s.v., a low cant word formed by corrupting ‘gloom.’

1847. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, ii., ch. vi. ‘I wonder whether Lady Southdown will go away; she looked very glum upon Mrs. Rawdon,’ the other said.

1888. Referee, 21 Oct. Who found him looking glum and gray, And thought his accent gruff and foreign.

1892. A. W. Pinero, The Times, v., i. What are you so glum about.

Glump, verb. (provincial).—To sulk. Hence glumpy, glumping, and glumpish = sullen or stubborn.

1787. Grose, Prov. Glossary. Glumping, sullen, or sour looking. Exm.

1835. Th. Hook, Gilbert Gurney. He was glumpy enough when I called.

1860. G. Eliot, Mill on the Floss, Bk. VI., ch. iv. ‘An’ it worrets me as Mr. Tom ’ull sit by himself so glumpish, a-knittin’ his brow, an’ a lookin’ at the fire of a night.’

Glutman, subs. (old).—See quot.

1797. Police of the Metropolis, p. 64. An inferior officer of the Customs, and particularly one of that class of supernumerary tide waiters, who are employed temporarily when there is a press or hurry of business. These glutmen are generally composed of persons who are without employment, and, being also without character, recommend themselves principally from the circumstance of being able to write.

Glutton, subs. (common).—1. A horse which lasts well; a stayer (q.v.).

2. (pugilists’).—A pugilist who can take a lot of punishment (q.v.).

1819. Moore, Tom Crib, xvi. Thus Theocritus, in his Milling Match, calls Amycus a glutton, which is well known to be the classical phrase at Moulsey-Hurst for one who, like Amycus, takes a deal of punishment before he is satisfied.

1891. Licensed Vict. Mirror, 30 Jan., p. 6, c. 3. He was known to be an awfully heavy hitter with both hands, a perfect glutton at taking punishment.

Gnarler, subs. (thieves’).—A watch dog. For synonyms, see Tike.

Gnasp, verb. (old).—To vex. For synonyms, see Rile.

1728. Bailey, English Dict. s.v.

Gnoff.—See Gonnof.

Gnostic, subs. (colloquial).—A knowing one; a downy cove (q.v.); a whipster (q.v.). [From the Gr., gnosis = knowledge.]

1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 27. Many of the words used by the Canting Beggars in Beaumont and Fletcher’s Masque are still to be heard among the gnostics of Dyot Street and Tothill Fields.

adj. (colloquial).—Knowing, artful (q.v.).

Gnostically, adv. (colloquial).—Knowingly.

1825. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well, ch. iv. He was tog’d gnostically enough.

Go, subs. (common).—1. A drink; specifically a quartern of gin. (Formerly a go-down, but Cf., quot. 1811.)

[For other combinations see abroad—all fours—aloft—aunt—baby—back on—bad—bail—baldheaded—bath—batter—bedfordshire—beggar’s bush—better—blazes—blind—board—bodkin—bulge—bungay—bury—bust—by-by—call—camp—chump—college—cracked—dead broke—devil—ding—ding-dong—dock—doss—drag—flouch—flue—gamble—glaze—glory —gloves—grain—grass—ground—hairyfordshire—hall—halves—hang—hell—high fly—high toby—hooks—hoop—jericho—jump—kitchen—man—majority—mill—murphy—pace—pieces—pile—pot—queen—raker—range—rope-walk—salt river—shallow—shop—slow—smash—snacks—snooks—spout—star-gazing—sweet violets—top—walker’s bus—west—whole animal—woodbine—woolgathering—wrong.]

English Synonyms.—Bender; caulker; coffin nail; common-sewer; cooler; crack; cry; damp; dandy; dash; dew-hank; dewdrop; dodger; drain; dram; facer; falsh; gargle; gasp; go-down; hair of the dog, etc.; Johnny; lip; liquor up; livener; lotion; lounce; modest quencher; muzzler; nail from one’s coffin; night-cap; nip or nipper; nobbler; old crow; a one, a two, or a three; out; peg; pick-me-up; pony; quencher; reviver; rince; sensation; settler; shift; shove in the mouth; slug; small cheque; smile; snifter; something damp; something short; swig; thimbleful; tiddly; top up; tot; warmer; waxer; wet; whitewash; yard.

French Synonyms.—Un bourgeron (popular = a nip of brandy); un asticot de cercueil (= a coffin-worm, a play on verre and bière); un coup d’arrosoir (popular: a touch of the watering pot); un gargarisme (popular: = a gargle [q.v.]); un galopin (= a pony [q.v.] of beer); un larme (= a tear); un mistiche (thieves’); un misérable (popular: a glass of spirits costing one sou; une demoiselle = two sous; un monsieur = four sous; un poisson = five sous); un mince de chic (popular: in contempt); une coquille de noix (popular = a thimbleful; a very small go; a drain); un jeune homme (familiar = in capacity four litres); un Kolback (popular = a small glass of brandy, or large glass of wine); une flûte (familiar); un extravagant (popular = a long drink); un fil (= a drain); un distingué (popular); une douleur (popular = a comforter or pick-me-up); un ballon (popular).

Italian Synonym.—Schioppa (= a long drink: also a large beer glass).

Spanish Synonyms.—Chisguete (colloquial); enjuagadientes (also = a mouthful of water or wine for rinsing the mouth after eating); espolada (= a long drink).

Portuguese Synonym.—Quebrado (= broken: a small glass).

1690. D’Urfey, Collin’s Walk, canto 4. And many more whose quality Forbids their toping openly, Will privately, on good occasion, Take six go-downs on reputation.

1793. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Go-shop.… The Queen’s Head in Duke’s Court.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. Go-shop, s.v. The Queen’s Head, in Duke’s Court, Bow Street, Covent Garden, frequented by the under players, where gin and water was sold in three-halfpenny bowls, called goes; the gin was called Arrack.

1823. Jon. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, s.v.

1835. Dickens, Sketches by Boz, The Streets: Night. Chops, kidneys, rabbits, oysters, stout, cigars, and goes innumerable, are served up amidst a noise and confusion of smoking, running, knife-clattering, and waiter-chattering, perfectly indescribable.

1841. Punch, Vol. I., p. 11, c. 1. Waiter, a go of Brett’s best alcohol.

1849. Thackeray, Hoggarty Diamond, ch. ii. Two more chairs, Mary, two more tumblers, two more hot waters, and two more goes of gin!

1850. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, p. 54. Drinking alternate goes of gin and water with a dustman for the purpose of insinuating myself into the affections of Miss Cinderella Smut, his interesting sister.

1853. Diogenes, Vol. II., p. 271. Shall I spend it in theatres? shows? In numerous alcohol goes?

1870. Figaro, 28 May. Their musical performances are evidently inspired by goes of gin.

1883. Echo, 7 Feb., p. 4, c. 3. Witness asked him what he had been drinking. He replied, ‘Two half-goes of rum hot and a half-pint of beer.’

2. (colloquial).—An incident; an occurrence: e.g., a rum go = a strange affair, or queer start; a pretty go = a startling business; a capital go = a pleasant business.

1803. Kenney, Raising the Wind, i., 3. Ha! ha! ha! Capital go, isn’t it?

1820. Jack Randall’s Diary. Gemmen (says he), you all well know The joy there is whene’er we meet; It’s what I call the primest go, And rightly named, ’tis—quite a treat.

1835. Dickens, Sketches by Boz, p. 251. A considerable bustle and shuffling of feet was then heard upon the stage, accompanied by whispers of ‘Here’s a pretty go!—what’s to be done?’

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends. ‘Misadventures at Margate.’ ‘O, Mrs. Jones,’ says I, ‘look here! Ain’t this a pretty go!’

1841. Punch, vol. I., p. 162. Stating his conviction that this was rayther a rummy go.

1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. lxxiii. Master Frank Clavering … had only time to ejaculate the words, ‘Here’s a jolly go!’ and to disappear sniggering.

1869. Mrs. H. Wood, Roland Yorke, ch. xli. ‘I am about to try what a month or two’s absence will do for me.’ ‘And leave us to old Brown?—that will be a nice go!’

1876. George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, ch. vii. A rum go as ever I saw.

1880. G. R. Sims, Three Brass Balls, pledge xvi. He … exclaimed, ‘Well, I’m dashed if this isn’t a rum go!’

1883. R. L. Stevenson, Treasure Island, p. 55. A pretty rum go if squire aint to talk for Doctor Livesey.

1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 305. ‘It was a near go,’ said Jack.

3. (common).—The fashion; the cheese (q.v.); the correct thing. Generally in the phrase all the go.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. He is quite the go, he is quite varment, he is prime, he is bang up.

1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1891], p. 35. Tom was the go among the goes.

1835. Haliburton (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. xiv. Whatever is the go in Europe will soon be the cheese here.

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I., 251. It was rather the go With Pilgrims and Saints in the Second Crusade.

1846. Punch, vol. X., p. 163. From lowly Queen’s quadrangle, Where muffins are the go.

1880. G. R. Sims, Ballads of Babylon (Beauty and Beast). And all day long there’s a big crowd stops To look at the lady who’s all the go.

4. (colloquial).—Life; spirit; energy; enterprise; impetus: e.g., plenty of go = full of spirit and dash. Fr.: avoir du chien.

1825. The English Spy, i., 178. She’s only fit to carry a dean or a bishop. No go in her.

1865. Macdonald, Alec Forbes of How-glen, II., 269. All night Tibbie Dyster had lain awake in her lonely cottage, listening to the quiet heavy go of the water.

1882. Daily Telegraph, 9 Oct. Mr. Grossmith’s music is bright and tripping, full of humour and go, as, under such circumstances, music should be!

1883. Illustrated London News, 10 March, p. 242, c. 3. There was any amount of dash and go in their rowing.

1887. Paton, Down the Islands. Barbadian may therefore be said to mean a man with go and grit, energy and vim.

1889. Sportsman, 19 Jan. It all lent a certain zest and go to the proceedings.

1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Feb., p. 7, c. 1. There was so much heartiness and go (so to speak) in the work that it reminded me of what I had read about peasant proprietors labouring in Switzerland and elsewhere under a Home Rule Government.

5. (colloquial).—A turn; an attempt; a chance. Cf., No go.

To have a go at, verb. phr. = to make essay of anything: as a man in a fight, a shot at billiards, and (specifically) a woman.

1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers (about 1827), p. 377 (ed. 1857). Wot do you think o’ that for a go?

1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. III., p. 221. I’ve twelve this go. I did a lagging of seven, and was at the Gib. three out of it.

1878. Jas. Payn, By Proxy, ch. iii. ‘I would practise that in the seclusion of my own apartments,’ observed Pennicuick; ‘and after a few goes at it, I’ll bet a guinea I’d shake the right stick out first.’

1888. Haggard, Mr. Meeson’s Will, ch. x. You have had seven goes and I have only had six.

6. (American).—A success. To make a go of it = to bring things to a satisfactory termination.

1888. Harper’s Mag., vol. LXXVII., p. 689. Determination to make the venture a go.

7. (gaming). The last card at cribbage, or the last piece at dominoes. When a player is unable to follow the lead, he calls a go!

8. (old.)—A dandy (q.v. for synonyms); a very heavy swell indeed, one in the extreme of fashion.

1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry [people’s ed.], p. 35. In the parks, Tom was the go among the goes.

Verb (American political).—1. To vote; to be in favour of. Cf., Go for.

2. (colloquial).—To succeed; to achieve. Cf., Go down.

1866. Public Opinion, 13 Jan., p. 51, c. 1. His London-street railway scheme didn’t go.

1870. H. D. Traill, ‘On the Watch.’ Sat. Songs, p. 22. Eh, waddyer say? Don’t it go? Ho, yes! my right honnerble friend. It’s go and go over the left, it’s go with a hook at the end.

3. (colloquial).—To wager; to risk. Hence to stand treat; to afford.

1768. Goldsmith, Good Natured Man, Act iii. Men that would go forty guineas on a game of cribbage.

1876. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly, Prologue ii. The very dice on the counter with which the bar-keeper used to go the miners for drinks.

1877. S. L. Clemens (M. Twain), Life on the Mississippi, ch. xliii., p. 390. There’s one thing in this world which a person won’t take in pine if he can go walnut; and won’t take in walnut if he can go mahogany.… That’s a coffin.

c. 1882. Comic Song, ‘The West End Boys,’ verse 3. Another bitter I really can’t go.

1887. World, 20 Apr., p. 8. While making up his mind, apparently whether he would go ‘three’ or ‘Nap.’

4. (racing).—To ride to hounds.

1884. Hawley Smart, From Post to Finish, p. 219. There would be far too many there who had seen Gerald Rockingham go with the York and Ainstey not to at once know that he and Jim Forrest were identical.

5. (colloquial).—To be pregnant.

1561–1626. Bacon, (quoted by Dr. Johnson). Women go commonly nine months, the cow and ewe about six months.

1601. Shakspeare, Henry VIII., iv., 1. Great bellied women that had not half a week to go.

Go down, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To be accepted, received, or swallowed; to wash (q.v.).

1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candle-Light, in wks. (Grosart), III., 272. For the woorst hors-flesh (so it be cheape) does best goe downe with him.

1659. Massinger, City Madam, i., 1. But now I fear it will be spent in poultry; Butcher’s-meat will not go down.

1663. Pepys, Diary, 9 Nov. The present clergy will never heartily go down with the generality of the commons of England.

1742. Fielding, Joseph Andrews, bk. II., ch. xvii. ‘O ho! you are a pretty traveller,’ cries the host, ‘and not know the Levant! … you must not talk of these things with me, you must not tip us the traveller—it won’t go here.’

1748. Smollett, Rod. Random, ch. xxi. He … shook his head, and beginning with his usual exclamation said, ‘That won’t go down with me.’

1885. W. E. Norris, Adrian Vidal, ch. vii. In fashion or out of fashion, they always pay and always go down with the public.

2. (University).—To be under discipline; to be rusticated.

1863. H. Kingsley, Austin Elliot, i., 179. How dare you say ‘deuce’ in my presence? You can go down, my Lord.

3. (common).—To become bankrupt. Also, to go under.

1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 19. Some one had certainly gone down.

To go due north, verb. phr. (obsolete).—To go bankrupt. [That is, to go to White-cross Street Prison, once situate in north London]. See Quisby.

To go on the dub, verb. phr. (old).—To go house-breaking; to pick locks. See Dub.

1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew. Going upon the dub, c. Breaking a House with picklocks.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

To go to the dogs, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To go to ruin. [Cf., the Dutch proverb ‘Toe goê, toe de dogs’ = money gone, credit gone too.] See Demnition bow-wows.

1857. A. Trollope, Three Clerks, ch. i. The service, he said, would go to the dogs, and might do for anything he cared and he did not mind how soon.

1863. H. Kingsley, Austin Elliot, 1, 179. ‘Got a second!—bah! The University is going to the ‘——’ Deuce!’ suggested Lord Charles, who was afraid of something worse. ‘Dogs, Sir, dogs!’

c. 1879. Broadside Ballad, ‘Old Clo’.’ My line of business is played out, it’s going to the dogs.

To go off on the ear, verb. phr. (American).—To get angry; to fly into a tantrum. See Nab the rust.

To go for, verb. phr. (colloquial).—1. To attempt; to tackle; to resolve upon; to make for (q.v.).

1871. John Hay, Jim Bludso. He see’d his duty, a dead-sure thing—And he went for it thar and then.

1890. Athenæum, 22 Mar., p. 366, c. 1. The authors have spared neither their creatures nor the reader one iota; whenever an unpleasant effect was obtainable, they straightway seem to have gone for it with unflinching zest.

1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 221. Some men had gone for half a dozen, others for two or three, and very few for a single.

1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 118. We are strong, my boy, strong now, and are going in for the slugging of books also, as well as the immorality of trade.

2. (colloquial).—To attack with violence and directness, whether manually or with the tongue.

1871. Morning Advertiser, 2 Feb., ‘A curtain lecture.’ On … arrival home the derelict husband is to be gone for in the most approved style of the late lamented Mrs. Caudle.

1883. James Payn, Thicker than Water, ch. xxxvii. There were occasions … when Charley could hardly help going for the legs of that lofty philosopher, for higher he could not hit him.

1889. Polytechnic Magazine, 24 Oct., p. 261. He went for the jam tarts unmercifully.

1889. Star, 24 Aug., p. 4, c. 2. As the enlightened tailor still declined to pay the blackmail one of the anti-machinists went for him with a chopper.

1892. Tit Bits, 19 Mar., p. 424, c. 1. So it comes to much the same thing, with the exception that you cannot indulge in the sad delight of going for Master Bertie sometimes as you might do were he a member of your own household.

1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 123. “Well mate, go for him, and we’ll keep the cops off till you settle his hash.”

3. (colloquial).—To support; to favour; to vote for.

4. (theatrical).—To criticise; specifically, to run down. [An extension of sense 2.] For synonyms, see Run down.

To go in for (or at), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To enter for; to apply oneself to (e.g., to go in for honours). Also to devote oneself to (e.g., to pay court); to take up (as a pastime, pursuit, hobby, or principle). Closely allied to go for.

1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 18 (ed. 1857). This advice was very like that which bystanders invariably give to the smallest boy in a street fight; namely, ‘Go in, and win’: an admirable thing to recommend, if you only know how to do it.

1849. Dickens, David Copperfield, ch. xviii., p. 162. Sometimes I go in at the butcher madly, and cut my knuckles open against his face.

1864. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, iii., 3. Go in for money——Money’s the article.

1869. Whyte Melville, M. or N., p. 31. Long before he had reached his uncle’s house, he had made up his mind to go in, as he called it, for Miss Bruce, morally confident of winning, yet troubled with certain chilling misgivings, as fearing that this time he had really fallen in love.

1870. Agricultural Jour., Feb. Men who go in for bathing, running, etc.

1872. Besant and Rice, My Little Girl (in Once a Week, 14 Dec., p. 508). He had, after a laborious and meritorious career at Aberdeen, gone in for Scotch mission work in Constantinople.

1873. Miss Broughton, Nancy, ch. xlv. His cheeks are flushed; he is laughing loudly, and going in heavily for the champagne.

1883. James Payn, Thicker than Water, ch. xx. This is very nice, but I do wonder, Mrs. Tidman, that you never go in for curries.

1890. H. D. Traill, ‘A Noble Watchword,’ Sat. Songs, p. 58. To go in solid for the cause how noble! (though, ’tis true, We must hope at next election that you’ll go in liquid, too).

To go in unto, verb. phr. (Biblical).—To have sexual intercourse with. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.

1892. Bible, Gen. xxx. 3. Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her.

To go it, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To act with vigour and daring; to advocate or speak strongly; to live freely. Also to go it blind, fast, bald-headed, strong, etc. Cf., Dash.

1689 (in Arber, Eng. Garner, vol. VII., p. 365). When these had shared her cargo, they parted company: the French with their shares went it for Petty Guavas in the Grand Gustaphus.

1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry [people’s ed.], p. 67. Logic, under the domino, had been going it on a few of his friends with much humour.

Ibid., p. 22. To go it, where’s a place like London?

1837. R. H. Barham, The Ingoldsby Legends (Ed. 1862), p. 375. For of this be assured, if you go it too fast, you’ll be ‘dished’ like Sir Guy.

1846–48. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, vol. I., ch. 26. ‘He’s going it pretty fast,’ said the clerk.

1849. Dickens, David Copperfield, ch. 6. I say young Copperfield, you’re going it.

1841. Dow, Sermons, vol. I., p. 176. I would have you understand, my dear hearers, that I have no objection to some of the sons and daughters of the earth going it, while they are young, provided they don’t go it too strong.