gape
To stare about in an astonished manner. "GAPING about like a country bumpkin." Sometimes pronounced GARP. There is no reference in the use of this phrase by Cockneys to GAPE in its correct sense.
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
gape-seed
Something to look at, cause for astonishment; a lazy fellow, unmindful of his work, is said to be "looking for GAPE-SEED." Rustics are said to find plenty of "GAPE-SEED" in London streets.
gapeseed
Sights; any thing to feed the eye. I am come abroad for a little gapeseed.
gar
Euphuistic rendering of the title of the Deity; "be GAR, you don’t say so!"—Franco-English.
garden
Among tradesmen signifies Covent GARDEN Market; among theatrical performers, Covent GARDEN Theatre.
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
An entrance fee demanded by the old prisoners of one just committed to gaol.
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.
garret election
A ludicrous ceremony, practised every new parliament: it consists of a mock election of two members to represent the borough of Garret (a few straggling cottages near Wandsworth in Surry); the qualification of a voter is, having enjoyed a woman in the open air within that district: the candidates are commonly fellows of low humour, who dress themselves up in a ridiculous manner.
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.
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 is GAS." "To give a person GAS," is to scold him or give him a good beating. Synonymous with "to give him Jessie."
gassy
Or GASEOUS, 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-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 of GATTER," a pot of beer. A curious slang street melody, known in Seven Dials as Bet the Coaley’s Daughter, thus mentions the word in a favourite verse:—
gaudy
The annual dinner of the Fellows of a College, in memory of founders and benefactors. From GAUDEAMUS.—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.
gawkey
A tall, thin, awkward young man or woman.
gawky
A lanky, or awkward person; a fool. Saxon, GEAK; Scotch, GOWK.
gay
Loose, dissipated; "GAY woman," a kept mistress or prostitute. Many people will remember Leech’s celebrated caricature of two wretched females on an equally wretched night, and the question asked by one woman of the other, "How long have you been GAY?"
gazebo
An elevated observatory or summer-house.
gee
It won't gee; it won't hit or do, it does not suit or fit.
gee
To agree with, or be congenial to a person.
geeloot
Or GALOOT, a recruit, or awkward soldier. A clumsy person, also a term of contempt in America.
gelt
Money, GERMAN.--Also, castrated.
gen
A shilling. See back-slang article.
gen-net
Or NET GEN, ten shillings.
generalize
A shilling, almost invariably shortened to GEN.
gent
A contraction of "gentleman,"—in more senses than one. A dressy, showy, foppish man, with a little mind, who vulgarizes the prevailing fashion.
gentle craft
The art of shoemaking. One of the gentle craft: a shoemaker: so called because once practised by St. Crispin.
gentleman commoner
An empty bottle; an university joke, gentlemen commoners not being deemed over full of learning.
gentleman of four outs
In Ireland when a vulgar, blustering fellow asserts that he is a gentleman, the retort generally is, "Yes, a GENTLEMAN OF FOUR OUTS"—that is, without wit, without money, without credit, and without manners.
gentleman of three ins
In debt, in gaol, and in danger of remaining there for life: or, in gaol, indicted, and in danger of being hanged in chains.
gentleman of three outs
That is, without money, without wit, and without manners: some add another out, i.e. without credit.
gentleman's master
A highway robber, because he makes a gentleman obey his commands, i.e. stand and deliver.
gentry cove ken
A gentleman's house. CANT.
geordie
General term in Northumberland and Durham for a pitman, or coal-miner. From the Greek, GEORGE meaning one who works the earth, originally a cultivator; the term has been in use more than a century.
george
Yellow George; a guinea. Brown George: an ammunition loaf.
german duck
Haifa sheep's head boiled with onions.
get
One of his get; one of his offspring, or begetting.
get up
A person’s appearance or general arrangements. Probably derived from the decorations of a play.
ghost
"the GHOST doesn’t walk," a theatrical term which implies that there is no money about, and that there will be no "treasury."
gib cat
A northern name for a he cat, there commonly called Gilbert. As melancholy as a gib cat; as melancholy as a he cat who has been caterwauling, whence they always return scratched, hungry, and out of spirits. Aristotle says, Omne animal post coitum est triste; to which an anonymous author has given the following exception, preter gallum gallinaceum, et sucerdotem gratis fornicantem.
gib-face
A heavy, ugly face; GIB is properly the lower lip of a horse; "to hang one’s GIB," to pout the lower lip, to be angry or sullen.
gibbe
A horse that shrinks from the collar and will not draw.
gibberish
The cant language of thieves and gypsies, called Pedlars' French, and St. Giles's Greek: see ST. GILES'S GREEK. Also the mystic language of Geber, used by chymists. Gibberish likewise means a sort of disguised language, formed by inserting any consonant between each syllable of an English word; in which case it is called the gibberish of the letter inserted: if F, it is the F gibberish; if G, the G gibberish; as in the sentence How do you do? Howg dog youg dog.
giblets
To join giblets; said of a man and woman who cohabit as husband and wife, without being married; also to copulate.
gibus
An opera hat. From the inventor of the crush hat.
giffle-gaffle
Or GIBBLE-GABBLE, nonsense. See CHAFF. Icelandic, GAFLA.
gift of the gab
The ability to speak fluently and persuasively
gifts
Small white specks under the finger nails, said to portend gifts or presents. A stingy man is said to be as full of gifts as a brazen horse of his farts.
gig
A farthing. Formerly GRIG.
gig lamps
Spectacles; also a person who wears spectacles is often called GIG-LAMPS. Connexion obvious. This term has been in use probably as long as GIG-LAMPS themselves—if GIG-LAMPS were invented after spectacles.
gigg
A nose. Snitchel his gigg; fillip his nose. Grunter's gigg; a hog's snout. Gigg is also a high one-horse chaise, and a woman's privities. To gigg a Smithfield hank; to hamstring an over-drove ox, vulgarly called a mad bullock.
gigger
A latch, or door. Dub the gigger; open the door. Gigger dubber; the turnkey of a jaol.
gilflurt
A proud minks, a vain capricious woman,
gill
The abbreviation of Gillian, figuratively used for woman. Every jack has his gill; i.e. every jack has his gillian, or female mate.
gill
Or JILL, a homely woman; "Jack and Gill," &c.