gol-mol
Noise, commotion.—Anglo-Indian.
English · UK & Ireland 1001
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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.
gold droppers
Sharpers who drop a piece of gold, which they pick up in the presence of some unexperienced person, for whom the trap is laid, this they pretend to have found, and, as he saw them pick it up, they invite him to a public house to partake of it: when there, two or three of their comrades drop in, as if by accident, and propose cards, or some other game, when they seldom fail of stripping their prey.
gold finder
One whose employment is to empty necessary houses; called also a tom-turd-man, and night-man: the latter, from that business being always performed in the night.
gold-mine
Any profitable investment, from a fried-fish shop to a remunerative speculation involving millions.
goldbacked uns
Body lice. Sometimes called greybacked uns.
golden cabinet
(The) of Secrets opened for Youth’s delightful Pastime, in 7 parts, the last being the "City and Country Jester;" with a Canting Dictionary, by Dr. Surman, 12mo. London, N. D. (1730.)
goldfinch
One who has commonly a purse full of gold. Goldfinches; guineas.
goldfinches
Sovereigns. Similar to Canaries.
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.
gollumpus
A large, clumsy fellow.
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 reglar GONNOF."—See GUN. The word GONNOF is 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—
good man
A word of various imports, according to the place where it is spoken: in the city it means a rich man; at Hockley in the Hole, or St. Giles's, an expert boxer; at a bagnio in Covent Garden, a vigorous fornicator; at an alehouse or tavern, one who loves his pot or bottle; and sometimes, though but rarely, a virtuous man
good time
An expressive phrase, which means all earthly bliss to the American mind. The finest reminiscence a Yankee can have is that of a GOOD 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 a GOOD TIME."
good woman
A nondescript, represented on a famous sign in St. Giles's, in the form of a common woman, but without a head.
goods
In the sporting world, men or horses. A horse or man of exceptionable quality is called "good GOODS," and a backer will speak of either as being in his opinion "best GOODS," as compared with others in the race.
goodyer's pig
Like Goodyer's pig; never well but when in mischief.
goose
A taylor's goose; a smoothing iron used to press down the seams, for which purpose it must be heated: hence it is a jocular saying, that a taylor, be he ever so poor, is always sure to have a goose at his fire. He cannot say boh to a goose; a saying of a bashful or sheepish fellow.
goose
A tailor’s pressing iron. Originally a slang term, but now in most dictionaries.
goose riding
A goose, whose neck is greased, being suspended by the legs to a cord tied to two trees or high posts, a number of men on horseback, riding full speed, attempt to pull off the head: which if they effect, the goose is their prize. This has been practised in Derbyshire within the memory of persons now living.
gooseberry
He played up old gooseberry among them; said of a person who, by force or threats, suddenly puts an end to a riot or disturbance.
gooseberry
To "play up old GOOSEBERRY" with any one, to defeat or silence a person in a quick or summary manner.
gooseberry pudding
A woman.
gooseberry-eyed
One with dull grey eyes, like boiled gooseberries.
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 silly fellow or woman.
goosecap
A simpleton, a booby, or noodle.—Devonshire.
gooser
A settler, or finishing blow.
goree
Money, chiefly gold: perhaps from the traffic carried on at that place, which is chiefly for gold dust. CANT.
gorge
To eat in a ravenous manner. "Rotten GORGERS" are those hungry lads who hang about Covent Garden Market, and devour the discarded fruit.
gorger
A gentleman. A well dressed man. Mung kiddey. Mung the gorger; beg child beg, of the gentleman.
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.
gormagon
A monster with six eyes, three mouths, four arms, eight legs, live on one side and three on the other, three arses, two tarses, and a *** upon its back; a man on horseback, with a woman behind him.
gormed
A Norfolk corruption of a profane oath. So used by Mr. Peggotty in David Copperfield.
gospel shop
A church.
goss
A hat—from the gossamer silk of which modern hats are made.
gotch-gutted
Pot bellied: a gotch in Norfolk signifying a pitcher, or large round jug.
goth
An uncultivated person. One who is ignorant of the ways of society.
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 a TOWNSMAN.
grab
To clutch, or seize; GRABBED, caught, apprehended.
graft
Work; "where are you GRAFTING?" i.e., where do you work? "What GRAFT are you at?" what are you doing? Perhaps derived from gardening phraseology; or a variation of craft.
grafted
Cuckolded, i.e. having horns grafted on his head.
grannum's gold
Hoarded money: supposed to have belonged to the grandmother of the possessor.
granny
An abbreviation of grandmother; also the name of an idiot, famous for licking, her eye, who died Nov. 14, 1719. Go teach your granny to suck eggs; said to such as would instruct any one in a matter he knows better than themselves.
granny
A knot which will not hold, from its being wrongly and clumsily tied.—Sea.
grapple the rails
A cant name used in Ireland for whiskey.
grass
"gone to GRASS," dead,—a coarse allusion to burial; absconded, or disappeared suddenly; also, gone to waste; it is said of wasted limbs that they have "gone to GRASS;" "oh, go to GRASS," a common answer to a troublesome or inquisitive person,—possibly a corruption of "go to GRACE," meaning, of course, a directly opposite fate.
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 a GRASS-WIDOW) and his children to school during his absence. Also a married woman, resident in England, whose husband is in India or the colonies.
grass-comber
A country fellow, a haymaker.
grasshopper
A waiter at a tea-garden.
grave digger
Like a grave digger; up to the a-se in business, and don't know which way to turn.
gravel
To confound, to bother; "I’m GRAVELLED," 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 a GRAVEL-GRINDER.
gravesend sweetmeats
Shrimps. GRAVESEND TWINS are solid particles of sewage.
gravy-eyed
Blear-eyed, one whose eyes have a running humour.
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 selected GRAYS with B’s tossing halfpence. There are various and almost obvious uses for them.
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.