galimaufrey
A hodgepodge made up of the remnants and scraps of the larder.
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Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
gall
His gall is not yet broken; a saying used in prisons of a man just brought in, who appears dejected.
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.
galley foist
A city barge, used formerly on the lord mayor's day, when he was sworn in at Westminster.
gallied
Hurried, vexed, over-fatigued, perhaps like a galley slave.
gallimaufry
A kind of stew, made up of scraps of various kinds. Sea term, and probably meaning the galley scraps.
gallipot
A nick namefor an apothecary,
gallivant
To wait upon the ladies.—Old.
galloper
A blood horse. A hunter. The toby gill clapped his bleeders to his galloper and tipped the straps the double. The highwayman spurred his horse and got away from the officers.
gallows
Or GALLUS, very, or exceedingly—an unpleasant exclamation; "GALLOWS poor," very poor. Term originally applied to anything bad enough to deserve hanging.
gallows bird
A grief, or pickpocket; also one that associates with them.
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."
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 the Lingua Franca. Italian, GAMBA; French, JAMBE, a leg.
gambadoes
Leathern cases of stiff leather, used in Devonshire instead of boots; they are fastened to the saddle, and admit the leg, shoe and all: the name was at first jocularly given.
gambler
A sharper, of tricking, gamester.
game
Any mode of robbing. The toby is now a queer game; to rob on the highway is now a bad mode of acting. This observation is frequently made by thieves; the roads being now so well guarded by the horse patrole; and gentlemen travel with little cash in their pockets.
game
A term variously applied; "are you GAME?" have you courage enough? "what’s your little GAME?" what are you going to do? "come, none of your GAMES," be quiet, don’t annoy me; "on the GAME," out thieving. To "play the GAME" is among sporting men to do a thing thoroughly and properly.
game leg
A lame or wounded leg.
gameness
Pluck, endurance, courage generally.
games
Thin, ill-shapped legs: a corruption of the French word jambes. Fancy gambs; sore or swelled legs.
gammon
Deceit, humbug, a false and ridiculous story. Anglo-Saxon, GAMEN, game, sport.
gammy
Bad, unfavourable, poor tempered. Those householders who are known enemies to the street folk and tramps are pronounced by them to be GAMMY. GAMMY sometimes 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 as □, or GAMMY. Gaelic, Welsh, and Irish, CAM (GAM), crooked.
gammy-vial
(Ville), a town where the police will not let persons hawk.
gamon
To humbug. To deceive, To tell lies. What rum gamon the old file pitched to the flat; how finely the knowing old fellow humbugged the fool.
gamon and patter
Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c.
gan
The mouth or lips. Cant.
gang
A company of men, a body of sailors, a knot of thieves, pickpockets, &c. A gang of sheep trotters; the four feet of a sheep.
ganger
The person who superintends the work of a gang, or a number of navigators.
gaoler's coach
A hurdle: traitors being usually conveyed from the gaol, to the place of execution, on a hurdle or sledge.
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.
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.
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