Gab,GABBERorGABBLE, talk; “gift of theGAB,” loquacity, or natural talent for speech-making.—Anglo-Norman;GABis also found in theDanishandOld Norse.Gaby, a simpleton, a country bumpkin. Probably from gape.Gad, a trapesing slatternly woman.—Gipsy.Anglo-Saxon,GÆDELING.Gadding the hoof, going without shoes.Gadding, roaming about, although used in an old translation of the Bible, is now only heard amongst the lower orders.Gaff, a penny play-house, in which talking is not permitted on the stage.SeePENNY GAFF.Gaffer, a master, or employer; term used by “navvies,” and general in Lancashire and North of England. Early English for an old man.See“BLOW THE GAFF.”Gaffing, tossing halfpence, or counters.—North, where it means tossing up three halfpennies. One man tosses, and another calls. Sometimes the coins are tossed from a stick, and the tosser keeps those which fall heads uppermost.Gag, a lie; “aGAGhe told to the beak.”—Thieves’ Cant.Gag, language introduced by an actor into his part. In certain pieces this is allowed by custom, and these are calledGAG-PIECES.The Critic, or a Tragedy Rehearsed, is chief among these. Many actors, however,take French leave in this respect with most pieces.—Theatrical slang.Mr. Robson at Belfast.—We (Northern Whig) suspected a little bit of what is professionally termedGAGin Mr. Robson’sDaddy Hardacrelast night. He had occasion to say that one of the characters in the piece “understands me well enough,” to which he added—“I wish some other people did the same,” with an expressive glance at the pit; which we interpreted as having special reference to those appreciative persons in the audience whom we have already mentioned, who think it absolutely needful to roar with laughter at every sentence Mr. Robson utters, without the least regard to whether it be humorous or pathetic—only because Mr. Robson has fame as a comic actor.When another Robson shall arise, no one will object to hisGAGGINGa little. The public could afford that to such a man in these days of “creations.”Gag, to hoax, “take a rise” out of one; to “cod.”Gage, a small quantity of anything; as “aGAGEof tobacco,” meaning a pipeful; “aGAGEof gin,” a glassful.Gagewas, in the last century, a chamber utensil.Galeny, old cant term for a fowl of any kind; now a respectable word in the West of England, signifying a Guinea fowl.—VideGrose.Latin,GALLINA.Gallanty show, an exhibition in which black figures are shown on a white sheet to accompanying dialogue. Generally given at night by “Punch and Judy” men.Gallimaufry, a kind of stew, made up of scraps of various kinds. Sea term, and probably meaning the galley scraps.Gallipot, an apothecary.Gallivant, to wait upon the ladies.—Old.Gallows, orGALLUS, very, or exceedingly—an unpleasant exclamation; “GALLOWSpoor,” very poor. Term originally applied to anything bad enough to deserve hanging.Gallows bird, an incorrigible thief; often applied to denote a ruffian-like appearance.Gallowses, in the North of England a pair of braces.Gally-yarn, a sailor’s term for a hoaxing story. He expresses disbelief by saying only “G. Y.”Galoot.—SeeGEELOOT.Galore, abundance.Irish,GO LEOR, in plenty.Gamb, a leg. Still used as an heraldic term, as well as by thieves, who probably get it from theLingua Franca.Italian,GAMBA;French,JAMBE, a leg.Game, a term variously applied; “are youGAME?” have you courage enough? “what’s your littleGAME?” what are you going to do? “come, none of yourGAMES,” be quiet, don’t annoy me; “on theGAME,” out thieving. To “play theGAME” is among sporting men to do a thing thoroughly and properly.Game leg, a lame or wounded leg.Gameness, pluck, endurance, courage generally.Gammon, deceit, humbug, a false and ridiculous story.Anglo-Saxon,GAMEN, game, sport.Gammon, to hoax, to deceive merrily, to laugh at a person, to tell an untrue but plausible story, to make game of, or, in the provincial dialect, to makeGAMEon;—“who’s thou makin’ thyGAM’ on?”i.e., of whom are you making a fool?—Yorkshire.Gammy, bad, unfavourable, poor tempered. Those householders who are known enemies to the street folk and tramps are pronounced by them to beGAMMY.Gammysometimes means forged, as “GAMMY-MONNIKER,” a forged signature;GAMMY STUFF, spurious medicine;GAMMY LOWR, counterfeit coin.Hants,GAMY, dirty. The hieroglyphic used by beggars and cadgers to intimate to those of the tribe coming after that things are not very favourable is known assquare, orGAMMY.Gaelic,Welsh, andIrish,CAM(GAM), crooked.Gammy-vial(Ville), a town where the police will not let persons hawk.Gander Month, the period when the monthly nurse is in the ascendant, and the husband has to shift for himself. Probably from the open choice he has during that period.Ganger, the person who superintends the work of a gang, or a number of navigators.Gape, to stare about in an astonished manner. “GAPINGabout like a country bumpkin.” Sometimes pronouncedGARP. There is no reference in the use of this phrase by Cockneys toGAPEin its correct sense.Gape-seed, something to look at, cause for astonishment; a lazy fellow, unmindful of his work, is said to be “looking forGAPE-SEED.” Rustics are said to find plenty of “GAPE-SEED” in London streets.Gar, euphuistic rendering of the title of the Deity; “beGAR, you don’t say so!”—Franco-English.Garden, among tradesmen signifies CoventGardenMarket; among theatrical performers, CoventGardenTheatre.Gardener, an awkward coachman; an insinuation that he is both coachman and gardener, and understands the latter branch of service better than the first; “get on,GARDENER,” is a most insulting expression from a cabby to a real coachman. Men who in small families do the coach, garden, and general work, are sometimes called “teakettle grooms,” or “teakettle coachmen.”Gargle, medical-student slang for drinkables.Garnish, the douceur or fee which, before the time of Howard the philanthropist, was openly exacted by the keepers of gaols from their unfortunate prisoners for extra comforts. The practice of garnishing is by no means so defunct as some folk seem to think, and its influence may often be traced by those who wish.Garnish, footing money.—Yorkshire.Garreter, a thief who crawls over the tops of houses, and enters garret-windows.Called also a “dancer,” or “dancing-master,” from the light and airy nature of his occupation.Garrotte, a system of robbery with violence much practised on dark winter nights by ruffians who during summer infest racecourses and fairs. Their victims are generally weak men and delicate women. From the SpanishGARROTTE, because the practice generally commences with a throttling attack. Procedure is, however, various, these gentlemen being possessed of much ingenuity in the way of torture. “The cat” has within the past year or so done much to modify this offensive state of things, but the sympathetic appeals of certain tenderhearted M.P.’s and other philanthropists, who are not themselves likely to be garrotted, on behalf of the garrotters, will probably before long result in a withdrawal of thelex talionis, and a natural resumption of the garrotte system, with new adornments.Garrotting, a mode of cheating practised amongst card-sharpers, by concealing certain cards at the back of the neck.Gas, to give off superfluous conceit, to bounce or brag; “his game isGAS.” “To give a personGAS,” is to scold him or give him a good beating. Synonymous with “to give him Jessie.”Gassy, orGASEOUS, liable to “flare up” at any offence.Gate,THE, Billingsgate. Sometimes Newgate, according to the occupation and condition of the speaker. In the same way Paternoster Row is by publishers known as “the Row.”Gate, to order an undergrad not to pass beyond the collegeGATE. As a rule, theGATEbegins after hall, but in extreme cases the offender isGATEDfor the whole day.—University.Gate-race, among pedestrians a mock race, got up not so much for the best runner to win, as for the money taken from spectators, at the gate. This sort of business is not peculiar to pedestrians; there are such things as gate-money meetings at horse-racing.Gatter, beer; “shant ofGATTER,” a pot of beer. A curious slang street melody, known in Seven Dials asBet the Coaley’s Daughter, thus mentions the word in a favourite verse:—“But when I strove my flame to tell,Says she, ‘Come, stow that patter,If you’re a cove wot likes a gal,Vy don’t you stand someGATTER?’In course I instantly complied—Two brimming quarts of porter,With sev’ral goes of gin beside,Drain’d Bet the Coaley’s daughter.”Gaudy, the annual dinner of the Fellows of a College, in memory of founders and benefactors. FromGAUDEAMUS.—Oxford University.Gawfs, cheap red-skinned apples, a favourite fruit with costermongers, who rub them well with a piece of cloth, and find ready purchasers.Gawky, a lanky, or awkward person; a fool.Saxon,GEAK;Scotch,GOWK.Gay, loose, dissipated; “GAYwoman,” a kept mistress or prostitute. Many people will remember Leech’s celebrated caricature of twowretched females on an equally wretched night, and the question asked by one woman of the other, “How long have you beenGAY?”Gay tyke boy, a dog-fancier.Gee, to agree with, or be congenial to a person.Geeloot, orGALOOT, a recruit, or awkward soldier. A clumsy person, also a term of contempt in America.Gen, a shilling.Seeback-slang article.Gent, a contraction of “gentleman,”—in more senses than one. A dressy, showy, foppish man, with a little mind, who vulgarizes the prevailing fashion.Gent, silver. From theFrench,ARGENT.Gentleman of four outs;in Ireland when a vulgar, blustering fellow asserts that he is a gentleman, the retort generally is, “Yes, aGENTLEMAN OF FOUR OUTS”—that is, without wit, without money, without credit, and without manners.Gentleman of three ins,—that is, in debt, in danger, and in poverty.Geordie, general term in Northumberland and Durham for a pitman, or coal-miner. From theGreek,Georgemeaning one who works the earth, originally a cultivator; the term has been in use more than a century.German Duck, a sheep’s-head stewed with onions; a favourite dish among the German sugar-bakers in the East-end of London.German Ducks, bugs.—Yorkshire.Get up, a person’s appearance or general arrangements. Probably derived from the decorations of a play.“There’s so muchGETTING UPto please the town,It takes a precious deal of coming down.”Planché’s Mr. Buckstone’s Ascent of Parnassus.Ghost, “theGHOSTdoesn’t walk,” a theatrical term which implies that there is no money about, and that there will be no “treasury.”Gibberish, unmeaning jargon; the language of the gipsies, synonymous withSLANG, another Gipsy word. Somner says, “French,GABBER;Dutch,GABBEREN; and our ownGAB,GABBER; hence also, I take it, ourGIBBERISH, a kind of canting language used by a sort of rogues we vulgarly call gipsies, a gibble-gabble understood only among themselves.”SeeIntroduction.TheGIBBERISHof schoolboys is formed by placing a consonant between each syllable of a word, and is called theGIBBERISHof the letter inserted. Thus, if F were the letter, it would be termed the FGIBBERISH; if L, the LGIBBERISH—as in the sentence, “How do you do?—Howl dol youl dol?” AGIBBERISHis sometimes formed by addingvisto each word, in which the previous sentence would be—“Howvis dovis youvis dovis?” These things are worthy of schoolboys, as they are in ability far below the rhyming, the back, or the centre slang, each of which is constructed by people possessing no claim to literary excellence whatever. Schoolboys in Franceform aGIBBERISH, in a somewhat similar manner, by elongating their words two syllables, in the first of which anr, in the second ag, predominates. Thus the wordsvous êtes un fouare spoken,vousdregue esdregue undregue foudregue. Fast persons in Paris, of both sexes, frequently adopt terminations of this kind, from some popular song, actor, exhibition, or political event. In 1830, the favourite termination wasmar, sayingépicemarfor épicier,cafémarfor café. In 1823, when the diorama created a sensation in Paris, the people spoke inrama(on parlait en rama.) In Balzac’s beautiful tale,Le Père Goriot, the young painter at the boarding-house dinner-table mystifies the landlady by saying, “What a beautifulsoupeaurama!” To which the old woman replies, to the great laughter of the company, “I beg your pardon, sir, it isune soupe à choux.” These adaptations can hardly be called slang, or we shall have everybody making a slang of his own, and refusing to believe in any one’s else—a sort of secondhand edition of the Tower of Babel.Gib-face, a heavy, ugly face;GIBis properly the lower lip of a horse; “to hang one’sGIB,” to pout the lower lip, to be angry or sullen.Gibus, an opera hat. From the inventor of the crush hat.Giffle-gaffle, orGIBBLE-GABBLE, nonsense.SeeCHAFF.Icelandic,GAFLA.Gig, a farthing. FormerlyGRIG.Gig, fun, frolic, a spree.Old French,GIGUE, a jig, a romp.“In search of lark, or some deliciousGIG,The mind delights on, when ’tis in prime twig.”Randall’s Diary, 1820.“‘No heirs have I,’ said mournful Matt;But Tom, still fond ofGIG,Cried out, ‘No hairs? don’t fret at that,When you can buy a wig.’”Gig lamps, spectacles; also a person who wears spectacles is often calledGIG-LAMPS. Connexion obvious. This term has been in use probably as long asGIG-LAMPSthemselves—ifGIG-LAMPSwere invented after spectacles.Gill, orJILL, a homely woman; “Jack and Gill,” &c.Gills, the lower part of the face.—Bacon.“To grease one’sGILLS,” “to have a good feed,” or make a hearty meal. A man suffering from the effects of a previous night’s debauch, is said to “look queer about theGILLS.”Gills, overlarge shirt collars.Gilt, money.German,GELD;Dutch,GELT.Gimcrack, a bijou, a slim piece of mechanism. Old slang for “a spruce wench.”—New Bailey.Any things which are gaudy and easily breakable, are known now asGIMCRACKS.Ginger, a showy, fast horse—as if he had been figged withGINGERunder his tail; a red-haired man. Term commonly used in depreciation of a person’s appearance.Ginger hackled, having flaxen, light yellow hair. Term originallyused to describe a certain colour or colours in game-cocks.—SeeHACKLE.Gingerly, to do anything with great care.—Cotgrave.Gingham, an umbrella. Term very common in London.Gingumbob, a bauble.Gin-spinner, a distiller, or rectifier of gin.Give, to strike, to scold; “I’llGIVEit to you,”i.e., I will thrash you. To lead to, in the sense of directions. Thus, in one of the Christmas numbers ofAll the Year Roundwe are told that “a side portal and a passage, dark at noon,GAVEupon Paradise Alley.” This usage of the word, from the French idiomatic use ofdonner, is becoming by no means uncommon.Give in, to admit oneself defeated, to “throw up the sponge,” or “strike one’s flag.”Give it mouth, a rude request to an actor or orator, which means, speak up. Low folk can fancy nothing higher in the way of encomium on an actor than, “He’s the cove toGIVE IT MOUTH—rather!”Gladstone, cheap claret.Gladstonereduced the duty on French wines.Glasgow magistrate, a salt herring. When George IV. visited Scotland, a wag placed some salt herrings on the iron guard of the carriage belonging to a well-knownGlasgow magistrate, who made one of a deputation to receive his Majesty.Glaze, glass; generally applied to windows. To “star theGLAZE” is to break a window.Glib, a tongue; “slacken yourGLIB,”i.e., “loosen your tongue.”Glim, a light, a lamp; “dowse theGLIM,” put out the candle.Sea and Old Cant.Glims, spectacles.Gaelic,GLINN, light.German(provincial),GLIMM, a spark.Glim lurk, a begging paper, giving a circumstantial account of a dreadful fire—which never happened.Gloak, a man. Term much used in old thieves’ cant.Glum, sulky, stem; “to lookGLUM,” to appear annoyed or disconcerted.Glump, to sulk.Glumpish, of a stubborn, sulky temper.Go, aGOof gin, a quartern of that liquor. (This word, as applied to a measure of liquor, is stated to have arisen from the following circumstance:—Two well-known actors once met at the bar of a tavern to have a “wet” together. “One more glass and then we’llGO,” was repeated so often on either hand, that in the endGOwas out of the question with both of them, and so the word passed into a saying.)Gois also synonymous with circumstance or occurrence; “a rummyGO,” and “a greatGO,” signify curious and remarkable occurrences; “all theGO,” when anything creates unusual interest, “noGO,” no good; “here’s a prettyGO!” here’s a trouble;GO, a term in the game ofcribbage; “toGOthe jump,” to enter a house by the window.—SeeLITTLE GO; alsoCALL-A-GO.“Gemmen (says he), you all well knowThe joy there is whene’er we meet;It’s what I call the primestGO,And rightly named, ’tis—‘quite a treat,’”Jack Randall’s Diary, 1820.Go along, a fool, a cully, one of the most contemptuous terms in a thieves’ vocabulary.GoborGOBBET, a portion. Generally applied to meat by schoolboys.Gob, the mouth, as in pugilistic slang “a spank on theGOB, drawing the gravy.” Also mucus, or saliva. Sometimes used forGAB, talk—“There was a man called Job,Dwelt in the land of Uz;He had a good gift of theGOB;The same case happen us.”Zach. Boyd.Gaelic—GABandGOB, a mouth.SeeGAB.God bless the Duke Of Argyle!a Scottish insinuation made when one shrugs his shoulders, of its being caused by parasites or cutaneous affections.—SeeSCOTCH FIDDLE,SCOTCH GREYS. It is said to have been originally the thankful exclamation of the Glasgow folk, at finding a certain row of iron posts, erected by his grace in that city to mark the division of his property, very convenient to rub against. Some say the posts were put up purposely for the benefit of the good folk of Glasgow, who were at the time suffering from the “Scotch fiddle.” This is, however, but a Southern scandal.Gods, the people in the upper gallery of a theatre; “up amongst theGODS,” a seat amongst the persons in the gallery—so named from the high position of that part, and the blue sky generally painted on the ceiling of the theatre; termed by the French, “paradis.”Gods, the quadrats used by printers in throwing on the imposing stone, similar to the movement in casting dice.—Printers’ term.Go due north, to become bankrupt, to go to Whitecross Street.—Nearly obsolete.Go for the gloves, to lay against a horse on the chance of its losing, without having the wherewithal to pay if it wins. Probably from the custom of ladies who betGLOVES, and expect, as the racing men say, to “stand them to nothing,”i.e., to be paid if they win, but not to pay if they lose. This is a last resource of the bankrupt turfite; and the big handicaps at the end of the year, the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire, offer both temptation and opportunity to those who can only hope to recoup themselves for their previous losses by “GLOVING IT” successfully. When, in the sporting papers it is stated that a settling at Tattersall’s was more than usually unsatisfactory, it may be fairly assumed that theGLOVEShave not been won by those who most desired them.Go in, to enter for, to apply oneself in pursuit of. Men at the Universitiesare said toGO INfor honours, aquatics, or whatever their chief desire or employment may be. The expression is now general.Go it, a term of encouragement, implying, “keep it up!” Sometimes amplified to “GO IT, ye cripples;” said to have been a facetious rendering of the last line of Virgil’sEclogues—“Ite domum saturæ, venit Hesperus,ite capellæ;”or, “GO IT, ye cripples, crutches are cheap.”Goldbacked uns, body lice. Sometimes called greybacked uns.Goldfinches, sovereigns. Similar toCanaries.Gold-mine, any profitable investment, from a fried-fish shop to a remunerative speculation involving millions.Golgotha, a hat, “place of a skull.” Hence the “Don’s gallery,” at St. Mary’s, Cambridge, and that part of the theatre at Oxford where the heads of houses sit.Gol-mol, noise, commotion.—Anglo-Indian.Golopshus, splendid, delicious, luscious.—Norwich.Gonnof, an expert thief, a master of his craft; one of the greatest compliments a London pickpocket can pay another is to say, “he’s a reglarGONNOF.”—SeeGUN. The wordGONNOFis very old. During Kett’s rebellion in Norfolk, in the reign of Edward VI., a song was sung by the insurgents in which the term occurs—“The countryGNOFFES, Hob, Dick, and Hick,With clubbes and clouted shoon,Shall fill up Dussyn daleWith slaughter’d bodies soone.”Good people, the name given by country folk, evidently from fear of offending by any less decided term, to fairies, brownies, pixies, &c. Mothers often say to querulous children, “I wish theGOOD PEOPLEwould run away with you.”Goods, in the sporting world, men or horses. A horse or man of exceptionable quality is called “goodGOODS,” and a backer will speak of either as being in his opinion “bestGOODS,” as compared with others in the race.Good time, an expressive phrase, which means all earthly bliss to the American mind. The finest reminiscence a Yankee can have is that of aGOOD TIME, wherever it may have been spent. No moderate amount of happiness is ever recorded in the register which denotes how often its possessor has “had aGOOD TIME.”Good woman, a not uncommon public-house sign, representing a woman without a head,—the ungallant allusion is that she cannot scold. Maybe, the publican does not think that it means also that she cannot drink. The Honest Lawyer, another sign, is depicted in the same manner.Goose, a tailor’s pressing iron. Originally a slang term, but now in most dictionaries.Goose;“Paddy’sGOOSE,”i.e., the White Swan, a celebrated public-house in Ratcliff Highway.Goose, “to cook hisGOOSE,” to kill him; the same as “to give him his gruel,” or “settle his hash.”Goose, “to get theGOOSE,” “to beGOOSED,” signifies to be hissed while on the stage. The big-bird, the terror of actors.SeeBIG BIRD.—Theatrical.Goose, to ruin, or spoil; to hiss a play.—Theatrical.To be “sound on theGOOSE” is in America to be orthodox in one’s political creed.Gooseberry, to “play up oldGOOSEBERRY” with any one, to defeat or silence a person in a quick or summary manner.Gooseberry-pickers, sharp children, who are ostensibly placed in charge of their elder sisters, when the latter go out shopping, but who are in reality a check on any chance of flirtation.Goosecap, a simpleton, a booby, or noodle.—Devonshire.Gooser, a settler, or finishing blow.Go over, in clerical slang, signifies to join the Church of Rome.Gorge, to eat in a ravenous manner. “RottenGORGERS” are those hungry lads who hang about Covent Garden Market, and devour the discarded fruit.Gorger, a swell, a well-dressed, or gorgeous man—probably derived from the latter adjective. Sometimes used to denote an employer, or principal, as the manager of a theatre.Gormed, a Norfolk corruption of a profane oath. So used by Mr. Peggotty inDavid Copperfield.Gospel grinder, a City missionary, or tract-distributor.Gospel Shop, an irreverent term for a church or chapel of any denomination. Mostly in use among sailors.Goss, a hat—from the gossamer silk of which modern hats are made.Goss, “to give a manGOSS,” to requite an injury, to beat, or kill. This is an Americanism, and is applied variously. A steamboat captain on the Mississippi, determined to pass his rival, called out, so the story goes, to the fireman, “Give herGOSSand let her rip, as I mean to pass that boat, or bust.”Goth, an uncultivated person. One who is ignorant of the ways of society.Go the whole pile, to put all one’s bank on a solitary chance. An Americanism which had its origin in thePILESof gold dust used as circulating medium by gambling miners.Gourock ham, a salt herring.Gourock, on the Clyde, about twenty-five miles from Glasgow, was formerly a great fishing village.—Scotch.Government sign-post, the gallows. This is necessarily almost obsolete.Governor, a father, a master or superior person, an elder; “which way,GUV’NER, to Cheapside?”Gowler, a dog.—North Country Cant.Query,GROWLER.Gownsman, a student at one of the universities, as distinguished from aTOWNSMAN.Grab, to clutch, or seize;GRABBED, caught, apprehended.Grace-card, the six of hearts, so termed in Ireland. A Kilkenny gentleman, namedGRACE, being solicited, with promises of royal favour, to espouse the cause of William III., gave the following answer, written on the back of the six of hearts, to an emissary of Marshal Schomberg’s, who had been commissioned to make the proposal to him:—“Tell your master I despise his offer; and that honour and conscience are dearer to a gentleman than all the wealth and titles a prince can bestow.” This would have been a much better story had James II. been a better King, and had he not earned for himself, even among Catholic Irishmen, a disgraceful name, through his craven conduct at the Battle of the Boyne.Graft, work; “where are youGRAFTING?”i.e., where do you work? “WhatGRAFTare you at?” what are you doing? Perhaps derived from gardening phraseology; or a variation ofcraft.Granny, a knot which will not hold, from its being wrongly and clumsily tied.—Sea.Granny, to know, or recognise; “do yeGRANNYthe bloke?” do you know the man?Grappling irons, fingers.—Sea.Grass, “gone toGRASS,” dead,—a coarse allusion to burial; absconded, or disappeared suddenly; also, gone to waste; it is said of wasted limbs that they have “gone toGRASS;” “oh, go toGRASS,” a common answer to a troublesome or inquisitive person,—possibly a corruption of “go toGRACE,” meaning, of course, a directly opposite fate.Grass, to knock down. Also to throw in a wrestling-match. “HeGRASSEDhis man with a heavy righthander,” or “He brought his man toGRASSby means of a swinging hipe.”Grass-comber, a country fellow, a haymaker.Grasshopper, a waiter at a tea-garden.Grass widow, an unmarried mother; a deserted mistress. In the United States, during the gold fever in California, it was common for an adventurer to put both his wife (termed in his absence aGRASS-WIDOW) and his children to school during his absence. Also a married woman, resident in England, whose husband is in India or the colonies.Gravel, to confound, to bother; “I’mGRAVELLED,”i.e., perplexed or confused.—Old.Also, to prostrate, to beat to the ground.Gravel-rash, a scratched face,—telling its tale of a drunken fall. A person subject to this is called aGRAVEL-GRINDER.Gravesend sweetmeats, shrimps.Gravesend twinsare solid particles of sewage.Gray, a halfpenny, with either two “heads” or two “tails”—both sides alike. They are used for cheating the unwary at “Tommy Dodd,” or pitch and toss. They are often “rung in” with a victim’s own money, so that the caller of “heads” or “tails” cannot lose. Thus if A has to call, he or a confederate manages to mix the selectedGRAYSwith B’s tossing halfpence. There are various and almost obvious uses for them.Gray-coat parson, a lay impropriator, or lessee of great tithes.Gray mare, a wife who “wears the breeches.” From an old story in which the point is to show that the “GRAY MARE,” the wife’s choice, “is the better horse,” and by parity of reasoning that the wife is superior to the husband.Grays, orScotch grays, lice. These pretty little things are called by many names, among others by those ofGRAY-BACKS, andGOLD-BACKED UNS, which are popular among those who have most interest in the matter.Grease spot, a minute remnant, humorously the only distinguishable remains of an antagonist after a terrific contest.Greasing, bribing. Sometimes called “GREASINGthe palm” of a man’s hand.Grecian bend, modern milliner slang for an exaggerated bustle, the effect of which is generally assisted by unnaturally high-heeled boots.Greek, a wide-awake fellow, a sharper.Greek kalends, an expression signifying an indefinite period; never. Term used in making promises never intended to be carried out. The Greeks had noKALENDS.Greeks, the low Irish. St. Giles’sGreek, slang or cant language. Cotgrave gives merrieGreekas a definition for a roystering fellow, a drunkard. TheGreekshave always been regarded as a jolly, luxurious race; so much so, that the Latins employed the verbGræcari(lit. to play theGreek) to designate fine living and free potations, a sense in which Horace frequently uses it; while Shakspeare often mentions the merryGreeks; and “as merry as a grig” (orGreek) was long a favourite allusion in old English authors. It is said by some that grig is in this sense intended to represent the small eel of that name which from its lively movements is supposed to be always merry; while others incline to the belief that the cricket, which is also in some parts of the provinces known as a grig, is meant. Readers may take their choice.Green, ignorant, not wide-awake, inexperienced.—Shakspeare.“Do you see anyGREENin my eye?” ironical question in a dispute.Greenbacks, the paper money issued in the United States during the war. The term was at first applied only to the notes for small amounts, which were backed with green, but eventually the one word represented all descriptions of what is now known in America as “currency.”Green-horn, a fresh, simple, or uninitiated person.Greenlander, an inexperienced person, a spoon. Sometimes an Irishman.Greenwich goose, a pensioner of the Naval Hospital.Griddler, a person who sings in the streets without a printed copy of the words.—Seven Dials.Gridiron, a County Court summons. Originally a summons to the Court of Westminster only; from theGRIDIRONarms. The Grafton Club is nearly always known as theGRIDorGRIDIRON, that instrument being brought into requisition whenever possible in the cuisine.Gridiron and dough boys, the flag of the United States, in allusion to the stars and stripes.—Sea.Grief, “to come toGRIEF,” to meet with an accident, to be ruined.Griffin, in India, a newly-arrived cadet; general for an inexperienced youngster.Grind, “to take aGRIND,”i.e., a walk, or constitutional. The daily grind is a term representing employment containing much routine. At Oxford college sports are called sometimes theGRIND.Grind, to work up for an examination, to cram by oneself, or with a private tutor.Grinder, private tutor, a coach.—University.Grinder, a tooth.Grindoff, a miller. FromThe Miller and his Men.Gripes, the stomach-ache.SeeTRIPES.Grist to the mill, money to the pocket, food to the family; anything which is supposed to add to a man’s immediate prospects, to his income, or to his benefit in any way, is said to “bringGRIST TO THE MILL.”Grizzle, to fret or cry continuously.Grog blossoms, pimples on the face, caused by hard drinking. Of such a person it is often said, “He bears his blushing honours thick upon him.”Grog-fight, a drinking party.—Military.Groggy, tipsy; when a prize-fighter becomes “weak on his pins,” and nearly beaten, he is said to beGROGGY. The same term is applied to horses that are overworked and unsteady. From similarity of appearance to the peculiarity of gait consequent on imbibing too muchGROG.Grove of the Evangelist, a facetious name for St. John’s Wood.Growler, a four-wheeled cab. It is generally supposed that drivers of these vehicles take a less favourable view of life than do their Hansom brethren.Grub and bub, victuals and drink of any kind,—GRUBsignifying food, andBUB, drink.Grubbing ken, orSPINIKIN, a workhouse; a cook-shop.Grubby, musty, or old-fashioned.—Devonshire.Gruel, “to give a person hisGRUEL,” to kill him. An expression in all probability derived from the report of a trial for poisoning, or from the easiest manner of administering a dose of poison. In the old daysa similar phrase was “to drug a posset.” Compare “to settle his hash,” and “cook his goose.”Guardevine, a cellaret.—Scotch.Guinea pigs, habitual directors of public companies; special jurymen; and engineer officers doing civil duty at the War Office, and paid aGUINEAper diem.Guinea to a goose, a sporting phrase, meaning long odds in favour of, or against, anything under notice. In the City this state of things is represented by the phrase, Lombard Street to a China orange. There are also other colloquialisms on this subject, but their power is, as a rule, mainly dependent upon their indecency.Gulfed, originally a Cambridge term, denoting that a man is unable to enter for the classical examination from having failed in the mathematical. These men’s names appeared in the list of “Degrees Allowed.” The nameGULFfor this list is said to have arisen from the boast of a former “wooden spoon.” “I would have you to know there is a greatGULFbetweenmeand the captain of the poll.” Candidates for classical honours were compelled to go in for both examinations. From the alteration of the arrangements, the term as thus applied is now obsolete. The expression is common now in Oxford as descriptive of a man who goes in for honours, and only gets a pass. An Honorary Fourth is when a candidate who only tries for a pass does so well that he is raised to the honours’ list.Gull, to cheat, to deceive; also one easily cheated. From the easy manner in which the bird of that name is deceived.Gullyfluff, the waste—coagulated dust, crumbs, and hair—which accumulates imperceptibly in the pockets of schoolboys.Gully rakers, cattle thieves in Australia, the cattle being stolen out of almost inaccessible valleys, there termedGULLIES.Gulpin, a weak, credulous fellow, who willGULPdown anything.Gummy, thick, fat—generally applied to a woman’s ankles, or to a man whose flabby person betokens him a drunkard.Gumption, orRUMGUMPTION, comprehension, capacity. FromGAUM, to comprehend; “I canna gauge it, and I cannaGAUMit,” as a Yorkshire exciseman said of a hedgehog.Gun, a magsman or street thief. Diminutive of gonnuf or gunnof. AGUN’Spractice is known asGUNOVING.Gunner’s daughter, a term facetiously applied to the method of punishing boys in the Royal Navy by tying them securely to the breech of a cannon, so as to present the proper part convenient for the cat, and flogging them. This is called “marrying” or “kissing” theGUNNER’S DAUGHTER.Gup, gossip.—Anglo-Indian.Gurrawaun, a coachman, a native Indian corruption of the English word coachman. For another curious corruption of a similar kind,seeSIMPKIN.—Anglo-Indian.Gusher, one overflowing with sentiment, a rhapsodizer. Romance-reading young ladies are generally described asGUSHING, and of late years the wordGUSHhas done duty as representing the newspaper work necessary for a continuance of the “largest circulation.”Gut scraper, a fiddler.Gutter blood, a low or vulgar man.—Scotch.Gutter lane, the throat. Probably fromGUTTUR.Guttle,seeGUZZLE.Guy, a fright, a dowdy, an ill-dressed person. Derived from the effigy of Guy Fawkes carried about by boys on Nov. 5. “Hollo, boys, anotherGUY!”Guy, to get away. Same asHEDGEin street phraseology, whichsee.Guzzle, to eat or drink to excess; to eat loudly, hastily, and clumsily.Gyp, an undergraduate’s servant at Cambridge. Popularly derived by Cantabs from theGreek,GYPS, (γύψ), a vulture, from the dishonest rapacity peculiar toGYPS. At Oxford servants are called scouts.
Gab,GABBERorGABBLE, talk; “gift of theGAB,” loquacity, or natural talent for speech-making.—Anglo-Norman;GABis also found in theDanishandOld Norse.
Gaby, a simpleton, a country bumpkin. Probably from gape.
Gad, a trapesing slatternly woman.—Gipsy.Anglo-Saxon,GÆDELING.
Gadding the hoof, going without shoes.Gadding, roaming about, although used in an old translation of the Bible, is now only heard amongst the lower orders.
Gaff, a penny play-house, in which talking is not permitted on the stage.SeePENNY GAFF.
Gaffer, a master, or employer; term used by “navvies,” and general in Lancashire and North of England. Early English for an old man.See“BLOW THE GAFF.”
Gaffing, tossing halfpence, or counters.—North, where it means tossing up three halfpennies. One man tosses, and another calls. Sometimes the coins are tossed from a stick, and the tosser keeps those which fall heads uppermost.
Gag, a lie; “aGAGhe told to the beak.”—Thieves’ Cant.
Gag, language introduced by an actor into his part. In certain pieces this is allowed by custom, and these are calledGAG-PIECES.The Critic, or a Tragedy Rehearsed, is chief among these. Many actors, however,take French leave in this respect with most pieces.—Theatrical slang.Mr. Robson at Belfast.—We (Northern Whig) suspected a little bit of what is professionally termedGAGin Mr. Robson’sDaddy Hardacrelast night. He had occasion to say that one of the characters in the piece “understands me well enough,” to which he added—“I wish some other people did the same,” with an expressive glance at the pit; which we interpreted as having special reference to those appreciative persons in the audience whom we have already mentioned, who think it absolutely needful to roar with laughter at every sentence Mr. Robson utters, without the least regard to whether it be humorous or pathetic—only because Mr. Robson has fame as a comic actor.When another Robson shall arise, no one will object to hisGAGGINGa little. The public could afford that to such a man in these days of “creations.”
Gag, language introduced by an actor into his part. In certain pieces this is allowed by custom, and these are calledGAG-PIECES.The Critic, or a Tragedy Rehearsed, is chief among these. Many actors, however,take French leave in this respect with most pieces.—Theatrical slang.
Mr. Robson at Belfast.—We (Northern Whig) suspected a little bit of what is professionally termedGAGin Mr. Robson’sDaddy Hardacrelast night. He had occasion to say that one of the characters in the piece “understands me well enough,” to which he added—“I wish some other people did the same,” with an expressive glance at the pit; which we interpreted as having special reference to those appreciative persons in the audience whom we have already mentioned, who think it absolutely needful to roar with laughter at every sentence Mr. Robson utters, without the least regard to whether it be humorous or pathetic—only because Mr. Robson has fame as a comic actor.
Mr. Robson at Belfast.—We (Northern Whig) suspected a little bit of what is professionally termedGAGin Mr. Robson’sDaddy Hardacrelast night. He had occasion to say that one of the characters in the piece “understands me well enough,” to which he added—“I wish some other people did the same,” with an expressive glance at the pit; which we interpreted as having special reference to those appreciative persons in the audience whom we have already mentioned, who think it absolutely needful to roar with laughter at every sentence Mr. Robson utters, without the least regard to whether it be humorous or pathetic—only because Mr. Robson has fame as a comic actor.
When another Robson shall arise, no one will object to hisGAGGINGa little. The public could afford that to such a man in these days of “creations.”
Gag, to hoax, “take a rise” out of one; to “cod.”
Gage, a small quantity of anything; as “aGAGEof tobacco,” meaning a pipeful; “aGAGEof gin,” a glassful.Gagewas, in the last century, a chamber utensil.
Galeny, old cant term for a fowl of any kind; now a respectable word in the West of England, signifying a Guinea fowl.—VideGrose.Latin,GALLINA.
Gallanty show, an exhibition in which black figures are shown on a white sheet to accompanying dialogue. Generally given at night by “Punch and Judy” men.
Gallimaufry, a kind of stew, made up of scraps of various kinds. Sea term, and probably meaning the galley scraps.
Gallipot, an apothecary.
Gallivant, to wait upon the ladies.—Old.
Gallows, orGALLUS, very, or exceedingly—an unpleasant exclamation; “GALLOWSpoor,” very poor. Term originally applied to anything bad enough to deserve hanging.
Gallows bird, an incorrigible thief; often applied to denote a ruffian-like appearance.
Gallowses, in the North of England a pair of braces.
Gally-yarn, a sailor’s term for a hoaxing story. He expresses disbelief by saying only “G. Y.”
Galoot.—SeeGEELOOT.
Galore, abundance.Irish,GO LEOR, in plenty.
Gamb, a leg. Still used as an heraldic term, as well as by thieves, who probably get it from theLingua Franca.Italian,GAMBA;French,JAMBE, a leg.
Game, a term variously applied; “are youGAME?” have you courage enough? “what’s your littleGAME?” what are you going to do? “come, none of yourGAMES,” be quiet, don’t annoy me; “on theGAME,” out thieving. To “play theGAME” is among sporting men to do a thing thoroughly and properly.
Game leg, a lame or wounded leg.
Gameness, pluck, endurance, courage generally.
Gammon, deceit, humbug, a false and ridiculous story.Anglo-Saxon,GAMEN, game, sport.
Gammon, to hoax, to deceive merrily, to laugh at a person, to tell an untrue but plausible story, to make game of, or, in the provincial dialect, to makeGAMEon;—“who’s thou makin’ thyGAM’ on?”i.e., of whom are you making a fool?—Yorkshire.
Gammy, bad, unfavourable, poor tempered. Those householders who are known enemies to the street folk and tramps are pronounced by them to beGAMMY.Gammysometimes means forged, as “GAMMY-MONNIKER,” a forged signature;GAMMY STUFF, spurious medicine;GAMMY LOWR, counterfeit coin.Hants,GAMY, dirty. The hieroglyphic used by beggars and cadgers to intimate to those of the tribe coming after that things are not very favourable is known assquare, orGAMMY.Gaelic,Welsh, andIrish,CAM(GAM), crooked.
Gammy-vial(Ville), a town where the police will not let persons hawk.
Gander Month, the period when the monthly nurse is in the ascendant, and the husband has to shift for himself. Probably from the open choice he has during that period.
Ganger, the person who superintends the work of a gang, or a number of navigators.
Gape, to stare about in an astonished manner. “GAPINGabout like a country bumpkin.” Sometimes pronouncedGARP. There is no reference in the use of this phrase by Cockneys toGAPEin its correct sense.
Gape-seed, something to look at, cause for astonishment; a lazy fellow, unmindful of his work, is said to be “looking forGAPE-SEED.” Rustics are said to find plenty of “GAPE-SEED” in London streets.
Gar, euphuistic rendering of the title of the Deity; “beGAR, you don’t say so!”—Franco-English.
Garden, among tradesmen signifies CoventGardenMarket; among theatrical performers, CoventGardenTheatre.
Gardener, an awkward coachman; an insinuation that he is both coachman and gardener, and understands the latter branch of service better than the first; “get on,GARDENER,” is a most insulting expression from a cabby to a real coachman. Men who in small families do the coach, garden, and general work, are sometimes called “teakettle grooms,” or “teakettle coachmen.”
Gargle, medical-student slang for drinkables.
Garnish, the douceur or fee which, before the time of Howard the philanthropist, was openly exacted by the keepers of gaols from their unfortunate prisoners for extra comforts. The practice of garnishing is by no means so defunct as some folk seem to think, and its influence may often be traced by those who wish.
Garnish, footing money.—Yorkshire.
Garreter, a thief who crawls over the tops of houses, and enters garret-windows.Called also a “dancer,” or “dancing-master,” from the light and airy nature of his occupation.
Garrotte, a system of robbery with violence much practised on dark winter nights by ruffians who during summer infest racecourses and fairs. Their victims are generally weak men and delicate women. From the SpanishGARROTTE, because the practice generally commences with a throttling attack. Procedure is, however, various, these gentlemen being possessed of much ingenuity in the way of torture. “The cat” has within the past year or so done much to modify this offensive state of things, but the sympathetic appeals of certain tenderhearted M.P.’s and other philanthropists, who are not themselves likely to be garrotted, on behalf of the garrotters, will probably before long result in a withdrawal of thelex talionis, and a natural resumption of the garrotte system, with new adornments.
Garrotting, a mode of cheating practised amongst card-sharpers, by concealing certain cards at the back of the neck.
Gas, to give off superfluous conceit, to bounce or brag; “his game isGAS.” “To give a personGAS,” is to scold him or give him a good beating. Synonymous with “to give him Jessie.”
Gassy, orGASEOUS, liable to “flare up” at any offence.
Gate,THE, Billingsgate. Sometimes Newgate, according to the occupation and condition of the speaker. In the same way Paternoster Row is by publishers known as “the Row.”
Gate, to order an undergrad not to pass beyond the collegeGATE. As a rule, theGATEbegins after hall, but in extreme cases the offender isGATEDfor the whole day.—University.
Gate-race, among pedestrians a mock race, got up not so much for the best runner to win, as for the money taken from spectators, at the gate. This sort of business is not peculiar to pedestrians; there are such things as gate-money meetings at horse-racing.
Gatter, beer; “shant ofGATTER,” a pot of beer. A curious slang street melody, known in Seven Dials asBet the Coaley’s Daughter, thus mentions the word in a favourite verse:—“But when I strove my flame to tell,Says she, ‘Come, stow that patter,If you’re a cove wot likes a gal,Vy don’t you stand someGATTER?’In course I instantly complied—Two brimming quarts of porter,With sev’ral goes of gin beside,Drain’d Bet the Coaley’s daughter.”
Gatter, beer; “shant ofGATTER,” a pot of beer. A curious slang street melody, known in Seven Dials asBet the Coaley’s Daughter, thus mentions the word in a favourite verse:—
“But when I strove my flame to tell,Says she, ‘Come, stow that patter,If you’re a cove wot likes a gal,Vy don’t you stand someGATTER?’In course I instantly complied—Two brimming quarts of porter,With sev’ral goes of gin beside,Drain’d Bet the Coaley’s daughter.”
“But when I strove my flame to tell,Says she, ‘Come, stow that patter,If you’re a cove wot likes a gal,Vy don’t you stand someGATTER?’In course I instantly complied—Two brimming quarts of porter,With sev’ral goes of gin beside,Drain’d Bet the Coaley’s daughter.”
Gaudy, the annual dinner of the Fellows of a College, in memory of founders and benefactors. FromGAUDEAMUS.—Oxford University.
Gawfs, cheap red-skinned apples, a favourite fruit with costermongers, who rub them well with a piece of cloth, and find ready purchasers.
Gawky, a lanky, or awkward person; a fool.Saxon,GEAK;Scotch,GOWK.
Gay, loose, dissipated; “GAYwoman,” a kept mistress or prostitute. Many people will remember Leech’s celebrated caricature of twowretched females on an equally wretched night, and the question asked by one woman of the other, “How long have you beenGAY?”
Gay tyke boy, a dog-fancier.
Gee, to agree with, or be congenial to a person.
Geeloot, orGALOOT, a recruit, or awkward soldier. A clumsy person, also a term of contempt in America.
Gen, a shilling.Seeback-slang article.
Gent, a contraction of “gentleman,”—in more senses than one. A dressy, showy, foppish man, with a little mind, who vulgarizes the prevailing fashion.
Gent, silver. From theFrench,ARGENT.
Gentleman of four outs;in Ireland when a vulgar, blustering fellow asserts that he is a gentleman, the retort generally is, “Yes, aGENTLEMAN OF FOUR OUTS”—that is, without wit, without money, without credit, and without manners.
Gentleman of three ins,—that is, in debt, in danger, and in poverty.
Geordie, general term in Northumberland and Durham for a pitman, or coal-miner. From theGreek,Georgemeaning one who works the earth, originally a cultivator; the term has been in use more than a century.
German Duck, a sheep’s-head stewed with onions; a favourite dish among the German sugar-bakers in the East-end of London.
German Ducks, bugs.—Yorkshire.
Get up, a person’s appearance or general arrangements. Probably derived from the decorations of a play.“There’s so muchGETTING UPto please the town,It takes a precious deal of coming down.”Planché’s Mr. Buckstone’s Ascent of Parnassus.
Get up, a person’s appearance or general arrangements. Probably derived from the decorations of a play.
“There’s so muchGETTING UPto please the town,It takes a precious deal of coming down.”Planché’s Mr. Buckstone’s Ascent of Parnassus.
“There’s so muchGETTING UPto please the town,It takes a precious deal of coming down.”
Ghost, “theGHOSTdoesn’t walk,” a theatrical term which implies that there is no money about, and that there will be no “treasury.”
Gibberish, unmeaning jargon; the language of the gipsies, synonymous withSLANG, another Gipsy word. Somner says, “French,GABBER;Dutch,GABBEREN; and our ownGAB,GABBER; hence also, I take it, ourGIBBERISH, a kind of canting language used by a sort of rogues we vulgarly call gipsies, a gibble-gabble understood only among themselves.”SeeIntroduction.TheGIBBERISHof schoolboys is formed by placing a consonant between each syllable of a word, and is called theGIBBERISHof the letter inserted. Thus, if F were the letter, it would be termed the FGIBBERISH; if L, the LGIBBERISH—as in the sentence, “How do you do?—Howl dol youl dol?” AGIBBERISHis sometimes formed by addingvisto each word, in which the previous sentence would be—“Howvis dovis youvis dovis?” These things are worthy of schoolboys, as they are in ability far below the rhyming, the back, or the centre slang, each of which is constructed by people possessing no claim to literary excellence whatever. Schoolboys in Franceform aGIBBERISH, in a somewhat similar manner, by elongating their words two syllables, in the first of which anr, in the second ag, predominates. Thus the wordsvous êtes un fouare spoken,vousdregue esdregue undregue foudregue. Fast persons in Paris, of both sexes, frequently adopt terminations of this kind, from some popular song, actor, exhibition, or political event. In 1830, the favourite termination wasmar, sayingépicemarfor épicier,cafémarfor café. In 1823, when the diorama created a sensation in Paris, the people spoke inrama(on parlait en rama.) In Balzac’s beautiful tale,Le Père Goriot, the young painter at the boarding-house dinner-table mystifies the landlady by saying, “What a beautifulsoupeaurama!” To which the old woman replies, to the great laughter of the company, “I beg your pardon, sir, it isune soupe à choux.” These adaptations can hardly be called slang, or we shall have everybody making a slang of his own, and refusing to believe in any one’s else—a sort of secondhand edition of the Tower of Babel.
Gib-face, a heavy, ugly face;GIBis properly the lower lip of a horse; “to hang one’sGIB,” to pout the lower lip, to be angry or sullen.
Gibus, an opera hat. From the inventor of the crush hat.
Giffle-gaffle, orGIBBLE-GABBLE, nonsense.SeeCHAFF.Icelandic,GAFLA.
Gig, a farthing. FormerlyGRIG.
Gig, fun, frolic, a spree.Old French,GIGUE, a jig, a romp.“In search of lark, or some deliciousGIG,The mind delights on, when ’tis in prime twig.”Randall’s Diary, 1820.“‘No heirs have I,’ said mournful Matt;But Tom, still fond ofGIG,Cried out, ‘No hairs? don’t fret at that,When you can buy a wig.’”
Gig, fun, frolic, a spree.Old French,GIGUE, a jig, a romp.
“In search of lark, or some deliciousGIG,The mind delights on, when ’tis in prime twig.”Randall’s Diary, 1820.
“In search of lark, or some deliciousGIG,The mind delights on, when ’tis in prime twig.”
“‘No heirs have I,’ said mournful Matt;But Tom, still fond ofGIG,Cried out, ‘No hairs? don’t fret at that,When you can buy a wig.’”
“‘No heirs have I,’ said mournful Matt;But Tom, still fond ofGIG,Cried out, ‘No hairs? don’t fret at that,When you can buy a wig.’”
Gig lamps, spectacles; also a person who wears spectacles is often calledGIG-LAMPS. Connexion obvious. This term has been in use probably as long asGIG-LAMPSthemselves—ifGIG-LAMPSwere invented after spectacles.
Gill, orJILL, a homely woman; “Jack and Gill,” &c.
Gills, the lower part of the face.—Bacon.“To grease one’sGILLS,” “to have a good feed,” or make a hearty meal. A man suffering from the effects of a previous night’s debauch, is said to “look queer about theGILLS.”
Gills, overlarge shirt collars.
Gilt, money.German,GELD;Dutch,GELT.
Gimcrack, a bijou, a slim piece of mechanism. Old slang for “a spruce wench.”—New Bailey.Any things which are gaudy and easily breakable, are known now asGIMCRACKS.
Ginger, a showy, fast horse—as if he had been figged withGINGERunder his tail; a red-haired man. Term commonly used in depreciation of a person’s appearance.
Ginger hackled, having flaxen, light yellow hair. Term originallyused to describe a certain colour or colours in game-cocks.—SeeHACKLE.
Gingerly, to do anything with great care.—Cotgrave.
Gingham, an umbrella. Term very common in London.
Gingumbob, a bauble.
Gin-spinner, a distiller, or rectifier of gin.
Give, to strike, to scold; “I’llGIVEit to you,”i.e., I will thrash you. To lead to, in the sense of directions. Thus, in one of the Christmas numbers ofAll the Year Roundwe are told that “a side portal and a passage, dark at noon,GAVEupon Paradise Alley.” This usage of the word, from the French idiomatic use ofdonner, is becoming by no means uncommon.
Give in, to admit oneself defeated, to “throw up the sponge,” or “strike one’s flag.”
Give it mouth, a rude request to an actor or orator, which means, speak up. Low folk can fancy nothing higher in the way of encomium on an actor than, “He’s the cove toGIVE IT MOUTH—rather!”
Gladstone, cheap claret.Gladstonereduced the duty on French wines.
Glasgow magistrate, a salt herring. When George IV. visited Scotland, a wag placed some salt herrings on the iron guard of the carriage belonging to a well-knownGlasgow magistrate, who made one of a deputation to receive his Majesty.
Glaze, glass; generally applied to windows. To “star theGLAZE” is to break a window.
Glib, a tongue; “slacken yourGLIB,”i.e., “loosen your tongue.”
Glim, a light, a lamp; “dowse theGLIM,” put out the candle.Sea and Old Cant.Glims, spectacles.Gaelic,GLINN, light.German(provincial),GLIMM, a spark.
Glim lurk, a begging paper, giving a circumstantial account of a dreadful fire—which never happened.
Gloak, a man. Term much used in old thieves’ cant.
Glum, sulky, stem; “to lookGLUM,” to appear annoyed or disconcerted.
Glump, to sulk.
Glumpish, of a stubborn, sulky temper.
Go, aGOof gin, a quartern of that liquor. (This word, as applied to a measure of liquor, is stated to have arisen from the following circumstance:—Two well-known actors once met at the bar of a tavern to have a “wet” together. “One more glass and then we’llGO,” was repeated so often on either hand, that in the endGOwas out of the question with both of them, and so the word passed into a saying.)Gois also synonymous with circumstance or occurrence; “a rummyGO,” and “a greatGO,” signify curious and remarkable occurrences; “all theGO,” when anything creates unusual interest, “noGO,” no good; “here’s a prettyGO!” here’s a trouble;GO, a term in the game ofcribbage; “toGOthe jump,” to enter a house by the window.—SeeLITTLE GO; alsoCALL-A-GO.“Gemmen (says he), you all well knowThe joy there is whene’er we meet;It’s what I call the primestGO,And rightly named, ’tis—‘quite a treat,’”Jack Randall’s Diary, 1820.
Go, aGOof gin, a quartern of that liquor. (This word, as applied to a measure of liquor, is stated to have arisen from the following circumstance:—Two well-known actors once met at the bar of a tavern to have a “wet” together. “One more glass and then we’llGO,” was repeated so often on either hand, that in the endGOwas out of the question with both of them, and so the word passed into a saying.)Gois also synonymous with circumstance or occurrence; “a rummyGO,” and “a greatGO,” signify curious and remarkable occurrences; “all theGO,” when anything creates unusual interest, “noGO,” no good; “here’s a prettyGO!” here’s a trouble;GO, a term in the game ofcribbage; “toGOthe jump,” to enter a house by the window.—SeeLITTLE GO; alsoCALL-A-GO.
“Gemmen (says he), you all well knowThe joy there is whene’er we meet;It’s what I call the primestGO,And rightly named, ’tis—‘quite a treat,’”Jack Randall’s Diary, 1820.
“Gemmen (says he), you all well knowThe joy there is whene’er we meet;It’s what I call the primestGO,And rightly named, ’tis—‘quite a treat,’”
Go along, a fool, a cully, one of the most contemptuous terms in a thieves’ vocabulary.
GoborGOBBET, a portion. Generally applied to meat by schoolboys.
Gob, the mouth, as in pugilistic slang “a spank on theGOB, drawing the gravy.” Also mucus, or saliva. Sometimes used forGAB, talk—“There was a man called Job,Dwelt in the land of Uz;He had a good gift of theGOB;The same case happen us.”Zach. Boyd.
Gob, the mouth, as in pugilistic slang “a spank on theGOB, drawing the gravy.” Also mucus, or saliva. Sometimes used forGAB, talk—
“There was a man called Job,Dwelt in the land of Uz;He had a good gift of theGOB;The same case happen us.”Zach. Boyd.
“There was a man called Job,Dwelt in the land of Uz;He had a good gift of theGOB;The same case happen us.”
Gaelic—GABandGOB, a mouth.SeeGAB.
God bless the Duke Of Argyle!a Scottish insinuation made when one shrugs his shoulders, of its being caused by parasites or cutaneous affections.—SeeSCOTCH FIDDLE,SCOTCH GREYS. It is said to have been originally the thankful exclamation of the Glasgow folk, at finding a certain row of iron posts, erected by his grace in that city to mark the division of his property, very convenient to rub against. Some say the posts were put up purposely for the benefit of the good folk of Glasgow, who were at the time suffering from the “Scotch fiddle.” This is, however, but a Southern scandal.
Gods, the people in the upper gallery of a theatre; “up amongst theGODS,” a seat amongst the persons in the gallery—so named from the high position of that part, and the blue sky generally painted on the ceiling of the theatre; termed by the French, “paradis.”
Gods, the quadrats used by printers in throwing on the imposing stone, similar to the movement in casting dice.—Printers’ term.
Go due north, to become bankrupt, to go to Whitecross Street.—Nearly obsolete.
Go for the gloves, to lay against a horse on the chance of its losing, without having the wherewithal to pay if it wins. Probably from the custom of ladies who betGLOVES, and expect, as the racing men say, to “stand them to nothing,”i.e., to be paid if they win, but not to pay if they lose. This is a last resource of the bankrupt turfite; and the big handicaps at the end of the year, the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire, offer both temptation and opportunity to those who can only hope to recoup themselves for their previous losses by “GLOVING IT” successfully. When, in the sporting papers it is stated that a settling at Tattersall’s was more than usually unsatisfactory, it may be fairly assumed that theGLOVEShave not been won by those who most desired them.
Go in, to enter for, to apply oneself in pursuit of. Men at the Universitiesare said toGO INfor honours, aquatics, or whatever their chief desire or employment may be. The expression is now general.
Go it, a term of encouragement, implying, “keep it up!” Sometimes amplified to “GO IT, ye cripples;” said to have been a facetious rendering of the last line of Virgil’sEclogues—“Ite domum saturæ, venit Hesperus,ite capellæ;”or, “GO IT, ye cripples, crutches are cheap.”
Go it, a term of encouragement, implying, “keep it up!” Sometimes amplified to “GO IT, ye cripples;” said to have been a facetious rendering of the last line of Virgil’sEclogues—
“Ite domum saturæ, venit Hesperus,ite capellæ;”
“Ite domum saturæ, venit Hesperus,ite capellæ;”
or, “GO IT, ye cripples, crutches are cheap.”
Goldbacked uns, body lice. Sometimes called greybacked uns.
Goldfinches, sovereigns. Similar toCanaries.
Gold-mine, any profitable investment, from a fried-fish shop to a remunerative speculation involving millions.
Golgotha, a hat, “place of a skull.” Hence the “Don’s gallery,” at St. Mary’s, Cambridge, and that part of the theatre at Oxford where the heads of houses sit.
Gol-mol, noise, commotion.—Anglo-Indian.
Golopshus, splendid, delicious, luscious.—Norwich.
Gonnof, an expert thief, a master of his craft; one of the greatest compliments a London pickpocket can pay another is to say, “he’s a reglarGONNOF.”—SeeGUN. The wordGONNOFis very old. During Kett’s rebellion in Norfolk, in the reign of Edward VI., a song was sung by the insurgents in which the term occurs—“The countryGNOFFES, Hob, Dick, and Hick,With clubbes and clouted shoon,Shall fill up Dussyn daleWith slaughter’d bodies soone.”
Gonnof, an expert thief, a master of his craft; one of the greatest compliments a London pickpocket can pay another is to say, “he’s a reglarGONNOF.”—SeeGUN. The wordGONNOFis very old. During Kett’s rebellion in Norfolk, in the reign of Edward VI., a song was sung by the insurgents in which the term occurs—
“The countryGNOFFES, Hob, Dick, and Hick,With clubbes and clouted shoon,Shall fill up Dussyn daleWith slaughter’d bodies soone.”
“The countryGNOFFES, Hob, Dick, and Hick,With clubbes and clouted shoon,Shall fill up Dussyn daleWith slaughter’d bodies soone.”
Good people, the name given by country folk, evidently from fear of offending by any less decided term, to fairies, brownies, pixies, &c. Mothers often say to querulous children, “I wish theGOOD PEOPLEwould run away with you.”
Goods, in the sporting world, men or horses. A horse or man of exceptionable quality is called “goodGOODS,” and a backer will speak of either as being in his opinion “bestGOODS,” as compared with others in the race.
Good time, an expressive phrase, which means all earthly bliss to the American mind. The finest reminiscence a Yankee can have is that of aGOOD TIME, wherever it may have been spent. No moderate amount of happiness is ever recorded in the register which denotes how often its possessor has “had aGOOD TIME.”
Good woman, a not uncommon public-house sign, representing a woman without a head,—the ungallant allusion is that she cannot scold. Maybe, the publican does not think that it means also that she cannot drink. The Honest Lawyer, another sign, is depicted in the same manner.
Goose, a tailor’s pressing iron. Originally a slang term, but now in most dictionaries.
Goose;“Paddy’sGOOSE,”i.e., the White Swan, a celebrated public-house in Ratcliff Highway.
Goose, “to cook hisGOOSE,” to kill him; the same as “to give him his gruel,” or “settle his hash.”
Goose, “to get theGOOSE,” “to beGOOSED,” signifies to be hissed while on the stage. The big-bird, the terror of actors.SeeBIG BIRD.—Theatrical.
Goose, to ruin, or spoil; to hiss a play.—Theatrical.To be “sound on theGOOSE” is in America to be orthodox in one’s political creed.
Gooseberry, to “play up oldGOOSEBERRY” with any one, to defeat or silence a person in a quick or summary manner.
Gooseberry-pickers, sharp children, who are ostensibly placed in charge of their elder sisters, when the latter go out shopping, but who are in reality a check on any chance of flirtation.
Goosecap, a simpleton, a booby, or noodle.—Devonshire.
Gooser, a settler, or finishing blow.
Go over, in clerical slang, signifies to join the Church of Rome.
Gorge, to eat in a ravenous manner. “RottenGORGERS” are those hungry lads who hang about Covent Garden Market, and devour the discarded fruit.
Gorger, a swell, a well-dressed, or gorgeous man—probably derived from the latter adjective. Sometimes used to denote an employer, or principal, as the manager of a theatre.
Gormed, a Norfolk corruption of a profane oath. So used by Mr. Peggotty inDavid Copperfield.
Gospel grinder, a City missionary, or tract-distributor.
Gospel Shop, an irreverent term for a church or chapel of any denomination. Mostly in use among sailors.
Goss, a hat—from the gossamer silk of which modern hats are made.
Goss, “to give a manGOSS,” to requite an injury, to beat, or kill. This is an Americanism, and is applied variously. A steamboat captain on the Mississippi, determined to pass his rival, called out, so the story goes, to the fireman, “Give herGOSSand let her rip, as I mean to pass that boat, or bust.”
Goth, an uncultivated person. One who is ignorant of the ways of society.
Go the whole pile, to put all one’s bank on a solitary chance. An Americanism which had its origin in thePILESof gold dust used as circulating medium by gambling miners.
Gourock ham, a salt herring.Gourock, on the Clyde, about twenty-five miles from Glasgow, was formerly a great fishing village.—Scotch.
Government sign-post, the gallows. This is necessarily almost obsolete.
Governor, a father, a master or superior person, an elder; “which way,GUV’NER, to Cheapside?”
Gowler, a dog.—North Country Cant.Query,GROWLER.
Gownsman, a student at one of the universities, as distinguished from aTOWNSMAN.
Grab, to clutch, or seize;GRABBED, caught, apprehended.
Grace-card, the six of hearts, so termed in Ireland. A Kilkenny gentleman, namedGRACE, being solicited, with promises of royal favour, to espouse the cause of William III., gave the following answer, written on the back of the six of hearts, to an emissary of Marshal Schomberg’s, who had been commissioned to make the proposal to him:—“Tell your master I despise his offer; and that honour and conscience are dearer to a gentleman than all the wealth and titles a prince can bestow.” This would have been a much better story had James II. been a better King, and had he not earned for himself, even among Catholic Irishmen, a disgraceful name, through his craven conduct at the Battle of the Boyne.
Graft, work; “where are youGRAFTING?”i.e., where do you work? “WhatGRAFTare you at?” what are you doing? Perhaps derived from gardening phraseology; or a variation ofcraft.
Granny, a knot which will not hold, from its being wrongly and clumsily tied.—Sea.
Granny, to know, or recognise; “do yeGRANNYthe bloke?” do you know the man?
Grappling irons, fingers.—Sea.
Grass, “gone toGRASS,” dead,—a coarse allusion to burial; absconded, or disappeared suddenly; also, gone to waste; it is said of wasted limbs that they have “gone toGRASS;” “oh, go toGRASS,” a common answer to a troublesome or inquisitive person,—possibly a corruption of “go toGRACE,” meaning, of course, a directly opposite fate.
Grass, to knock down. Also to throw in a wrestling-match. “HeGRASSEDhis man with a heavy righthander,” or “He brought his man toGRASSby means of a swinging hipe.”
Grass-comber, a country fellow, a haymaker.
Grasshopper, a waiter at a tea-garden.
Grass widow, an unmarried mother; a deserted mistress. In the United States, during the gold fever in California, it was common for an adventurer to put both his wife (termed in his absence aGRASS-WIDOW) and his children to school during his absence. Also a married woman, resident in England, whose husband is in India or the colonies.
Gravel, to confound, to bother; “I’mGRAVELLED,”i.e., perplexed or confused.—Old.Also, to prostrate, to beat to the ground.
Gravel-rash, a scratched face,—telling its tale of a drunken fall. A person subject to this is called aGRAVEL-GRINDER.
Gravesend sweetmeats, shrimps.Gravesend twinsare solid particles of sewage.
Gray, a halfpenny, with either two “heads” or two “tails”—both sides alike. They are used for cheating the unwary at “Tommy Dodd,” or pitch and toss. They are often “rung in” with a victim’s own money, so that the caller of “heads” or “tails” cannot lose. Thus if A has to call, he or a confederate manages to mix the selectedGRAYSwith B’s tossing halfpence. There are various and almost obvious uses for them.
Gray-coat parson, a lay impropriator, or lessee of great tithes.
Gray mare, a wife who “wears the breeches.” From an old story in which the point is to show that the “GRAY MARE,” the wife’s choice, “is the better horse,” and by parity of reasoning that the wife is superior to the husband.
Grays, orScotch grays, lice. These pretty little things are called by many names, among others by those ofGRAY-BACKS, andGOLD-BACKED UNS, which are popular among those who have most interest in the matter.
Grease spot, a minute remnant, humorously the only distinguishable remains of an antagonist after a terrific contest.
Greasing, bribing. Sometimes called “GREASINGthe palm” of a man’s hand.
Grecian bend, modern milliner slang for an exaggerated bustle, the effect of which is generally assisted by unnaturally high-heeled boots.
Greek, a wide-awake fellow, a sharper.
Greek kalends, an expression signifying an indefinite period; never. Term used in making promises never intended to be carried out. The Greeks had noKALENDS.
Greeks, the low Irish. St. Giles’sGreek, slang or cant language. Cotgrave gives merrieGreekas a definition for a roystering fellow, a drunkard. TheGreekshave always been regarded as a jolly, luxurious race; so much so, that the Latins employed the verbGræcari(lit. to play theGreek) to designate fine living and free potations, a sense in which Horace frequently uses it; while Shakspeare often mentions the merryGreeks; and “as merry as a grig” (orGreek) was long a favourite allusion in old English authors. It is said by some that grig is in this sense intended to represent the small eel of that name which from its lively movements is supposed to be always merry; while others incline to the belief that the cricket, which is also in some parts of the provinces known as a grig, is meant. Readers may take their choice.
Green, ignorant, not wide-awake, inexperienced.—Shakspeare.“Do you see anyGREENin my eye?” ironical question in a dispute.
Greenbacks, the paper money issued in the United States during the war. The term was at first applied only to the notes for small amounts, which were backed with green, but eventually the one word represented all descriptions of what is now known in America as “currency.”
Green-horn, a fresh, simple, or uninitiated person.
Greenlander, an inexperienced person, a spoon. Sometimes an Irishman.
Greenwich goose, a pensioner of the Naval Hospital.
Griddler, a person who sings in the streets without a printed copy of the words.—Seven Dials.
Gridiron, a County Court summons. Originally a summons to the Court of Westminster only; from theGRIDIRONarms. The Grafton Club is nearly always known as theGRIDorGRIDIRON, that instrument being brought into requisition whenever possible in the cuisine.
Gridiron and dough boys, the flag of the United States, in allusion to the stars and stripes.—Sea.
Grief, “to come toGRIEF,” to meet with an accident, to be ruined.
Griffin, in India, a newly-arrived cadet; general for an inexperienced youngster.
Grind, “to take aGRIND,”i.e., a walk, or constitutional. The daily grind is a term representing employment containing much routine. At Oxford college sports are called sometimes theGRIND.
Grind, to work up for an examination, to cram by oneself, or with a private tutor.
Grinder, private tutor, a coach.—University.
Grinder, a tooth.
Grindoff, a miller. FromThe Miller and his Men.
Gripes, the stomach-ache.SeeTRIPES.
Grist to the mill, money to the pocket, food to the family; anything which is supposed to add to a man’s immediate prospects, to his income, or to his benefit in any way, is said to “bringGRIST TO THE MILL.”
Grizzle, to fret or cry continuously.
Grog blossoms, pimples on the face, caused by hard drinking. Of such a person it is often said, “He bears his blushing honours thick upon him.”
Grog-fight, a drinking party.—Military.
Groggy, tipsy; when a prize-fighter becomes “weak on his pins,” and nearly beaten, he is said to beGROGGY. The same term is applied to horses that are overworked and unsteady. From similarity of appearance to the peculiarity of gait consequent on imbibing too muchGROG.
Grove of the Evangelist, a facetious name for St. John’s Wood.
Growler, a four-wheeled cab. It is generally supposed that drivers of these vehicles take a less favourable view of life than do their Hansom brethren.
Grub and bub, victuals and drink of any kind,—GRUBsignifying food, andBUB, drink.
Grubbing ken, orSPINIKIN, a workhouse; a cook-shop.
Grubby, musty, or old-fashioned.—Devonshire.
Gruel, “to give a person hisGRUEL,” to kill him. An expression in all probability derived from the report of a trial for poisoning, or from the easiest manner of administering a dose of poison. In the old daysa similar phrase was “to drug a posset.” Compare “to settle his hash,” and “cook his goose.”
Guardevine, a cellaret.—Scotch.
Guinea pigs, habitual directors of public companies; special jurymen; and engineer officers doing civil duty at the War Office, and paid aGUINEAper diem.
Guinea to a goose, a sporting phrase, meaning long odds in favour of, or against, anything under notice. In the City this state of things is represented by the phrase, Lombard Street to a China orange. There are also other colloquialisms on this subject, but their power is, as a rule, mainly dependent upon their indecency.
Gulfed, originally a Cambridge term, denoting that a man is unable to enter for the classical examination from having failed in the mathematical. These men’s names appeared in the list of “Degrees Allowed.” The nameGULFfor this list is said to have arisen from the boast of a former “wooden spoon.” “I would have you to know there is a greatGULFbetweenmeand the captain of the poll.” Candidates for classical honours were compelled to go in for both examinations. From the alteration of the arrangements, the term as thus applied is now obsolete. The expression is common now in Oxford as descriptive of a man who goes in for honours, and only gets a pass. An Honorary Fourth is when a candidate who only tries for a pass does so well that he is raised to the honours’ list.
Gull, to cheat, to deceive; also one easily cheated. From the easy manner in which the bird of that name is deceived.
Gullyfluff, the waste—coagulated dust, crumbs, and hair—which accumulates imperceptibly in the pockets of schoolboys.
Gully rakers, cattle thieves in Australia, the cattle being stolen out of almost inaccessible valleys, there termedGULLIES.
Gulpin, a weak, credulous fellow, who willGULPdown anything.
Gummy, thick, fat—generally applied to a woman’s ankles, or to a man whose flabby person betokens him a drunkard.
Gumption, orRUMGUMPTION, comprehension, capacity. FromGAUM, to comprehend; “I canna gauge it, and I cannaGAUMit,” as a Yorkshire exciseman said of a hedgehog.
Gun, a magsman or street thief. Diminutive of gonnuf or gunnof. AGUN’Spractice is known asGUNOVING.
Gunner’s daughter, a term facetiously applied to the method of punishing boys in the Royal Navy by tying them securely to the breech of a cannon, so as to present the proper part convenient for the cat, and flogging them. This is called “marrying” or “kissing” theGUNNER’S DAUGHTER.
Gup, gossip.—Anglo-Indian.
Gurrawaun, a coachman, a native Indian corruption of the English word coachman. For another curious corruption of a similar kind,seeSIMPKIN.—Anglo-Indian.
Gusher, one overflowing with sentiment, a rhapsodizer. Romance-reading young ladies are generally described asGUSHING, and of late years the wordGUSHhas done duty as representing the newspaper work necessary for a continuance of the “largest circulation.”
Gut scraper, a fiddler.
Gutter blood, a low or vulgar man.—Scotch.
Gutter lane, the throat. Probably fromGUTTUR.
Guttle,seeGUZZLE.
Guy, a fright, a dowdy, an ill-dressed person. Derived from the effigy of Guy Fawkes carried about by boys on Nov. 5. “Hollo, boys, anotherGUY!”
Guy, to get away. Same asHEDGEin street phraseology, whichsee.
Guzzle, to eat or drink to excess; to eat loudly, hastily, and clumsily.
Gyp, an undergraduate’s servant at Cambridge. Popularly derived by Cantabs from theGreek,GYPS, (γύψ), a vulture, from the dishonest rapacity peculiar toGYPS. At Oxford servants are called scouts.