gray-coat parson
A lay impropriator, or lessee of great tithes.
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.
grays
Or SCOTCH GRAYS, lice. These pretty little things are called by many names, among others by those of GRAY-BACKS, and GOLD-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 "GREASING the palm" of a man’s hand.
great intimate
As great as shirt and shitten a-se.
grecian bend
Modern milliner slang for an exaggerated bustle, the effect of which is generally assisted by unnaturally high-heeled boots.
greedy guts
A covetous or voracious person.
greek
St. Giles's Greek; the slang lingo, cant, or gibberish.
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 no KALENDS.
green
Doctor Green; i.e. grass: a physician, or rather medicine, found very successful in curing most disorders to which horses are liable. My horse is not well, I shall send him to Doctor Green.
green
Ignorant, not wide-awake, inexperienced.—Shakspeare. "Do you see any GREEN in my eye?" ironical question in a dispute.
green bag
An attorney: those gentlemen carry their clients' deeds in a green bag; and, it is said, when they have no deeds to carry, frequently fill them with an old pair of breeches, or any other trumpery, to give themselves the appearance of business.
green gown
To give a girl a green gown; to tumble her on the grass.
green sickness
The disease of maids occasioned by celibacy.
green-horn
A fresh, simple, or uninitiated person.
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."
greene’s
(Robert) Notable Discovery of Coosnage, now daily practised by sundry lewd persons called Conie-catchers and Crosse-biters. Plainly laying open those pernitious sleights that hath brought many ignorant men to confusion. Written for the general benefit of all Gentlemen, Citizens, Apprentices, Country Farmers, and Yeomen, that may hap to fall into the company of such coosening companions. With a delightful discourse of the coosnage of Colliers, 4to, with woodcuts. Printed by John Wolfe, 1591.
greenhead
An inexperienced young man.
greenhorn
A novice on the town, an undebauched young fellow, just initiated into the society of bucks and bloods.
greenlander
An inexperienced person, a spoon. Sometimes an Irishman.
greenwich barbers
Retailers of sand from the pits at and about Greenwich, in Kent: perhaps they are styled barbers, from their constant shaving the sandbanks.
gregorian tree
The gallows: so named from Gregory Brandon, a famous finisher of the law; to whom Sir William Segar, garter king of arms (being imposed on by Brooke, a herald), granted a coat of arms.
grey beard
Earthen jugs formerly used in public house for drawing ale: they had the figure of a man with a large beard stamped on them; whence probably they took the name: see BEN JONSON'S PLAYS, BARTHOLOMEW FAIR, &c. &c. Dutch earthen jugs, used for smuggling gin on the coasts of Essex and Suffolk, are at this time called grey beards.
grey mare
The grey mare is the better horse; said of a woman who governs her husband.
grey parson
A farmer who rents the tithes of the rector or vicar.
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 the GRIDIRON arms. The Grafton Club is nearly always known as the GRID or GRIDIRON, 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 to GRIEF," to meet with an accident, to be ruined.
griffin
In India, a newly-arrived cadet; general for an inexperienced youngster.
grig
A farthing. A merry grig; a fellow as merry as a grig: an allusion to the apparent liveliness of a grig, or young eel.
grim
Old Mr. Grim; death.
grimalkin
A cat: mawkin signifies a hare in Scotland.
grin
To grin in a glass case; to be anatomized for murder: the skeletons of many criminals are preserved in glass cases, at Surgeons' hall.
grinagog, the cat's uncle
A foolish grinning fellow, one who grins without reason.
grind
"to take a GRIND," i.e., a walk, or constitutional. The daily grind is a term representing employment containing much routine. At Oxford college sports are called sometimes the GRIND.
grinder
Private tutor, a coach.—University.
grinders
Teeth. Gooseberry grinder; the breech. Ask bogey, the gooseberry grinder; ask mine a-se.
grindoff
A miller. From The Miller and his Men.
gripes
The stomach-ache. See TRIPES.
grizzle
To fret or cry continuously.
groats
To save his groats; to come off handsomely: at the universities, nine groats are deposited in the hands of an academic officer, by every person standing for a degree; which if the depositor obtains with honour, the groats are returned to him.
grog
Rum and water. Grog was first introduced into the navy about the year 1740, by Admiral Vernon, to prevent the sailors intoxicating themselves with their allowance of rum, or spirits. Groggy, or groggified; drunk.
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-blossom
A carbuncle, or pimple in the face, caused by drinking.
grog-fight
A drinking party.—Military.
grogged
A grogged horse; a foundered horse.
groggy
Tipsy; when a prize-fighter becomes "weak on his pins," and nearly beaten, he is said to be GROGGY. 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 much GROG.
gropers
Blind men; also midwives.
grose’s
(Francis, generally styled Captain) Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 8vo. 178-.
ground squirrel
A hog, or pig. SEA TERM.
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
Victuals. To grub; to dine.
grub street
A street near Moorfields, formerly the supposed habitation of many persons who wrote for the booksellers: hence a Grub-street writer means a hackney author, who manufactures booss for the booksellers.
grubby
Musty, or old-fashioned.—Devonshire.
gruel
"to give a person his GRUEL," 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 days a similar phrase was "to drug a posset." Compare "to settle his hash," and "cook his goose."
grumble
To grumble in the gizzard; to murmur or repine. He grumbled like a bear with a sore head.
grumbletonian
A discontented person; one who is always railing at the times or ministry.
grunter
A hog; to grunt; to groan, or complain of sickness.