gage
A small quantity of anything; as "a GAGE of tobacco," meaning a pipeful; "a GAGE of gin," a glassful. GAGE was, in the last century, a chamber utensil.
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gaggers
High and Low. Cheats, who by sham pretences, and wonderful stories of their sufferings, impose on the credulity of well meaning people. See RUM GAGGER.
gagging for it
Desperate or eager for something, often sex or attention
Gai Saber
Its full title was "The Very Gay Company of the Seven Troubadours of Toulouse.
Gaiety Girl
One of the beauty chorus for which the old Gaiety Theatre in the Strand was famous in the '90s and Edwardian days. Several of them married into the peerage.
gain momentum
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
gain time
To delay or postpone something in order to have more time
Galeazzo's Lent
A form of torture devised by Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, 1395- 1402, calculated to prolong the unfortunate victim's life for forty days.
galeny
Old cant term for a fowl of any kind; now a respectable word in the West of England, signifying a Guinea fowl.—Vide Grose. Latin, GALLINA.
galimaufrey
A hodgepodge made up of the remnants and scraps of the larder.
gall
His gall is not yet broken; a saying used in prisons of a man just brought in, who appears dejected.
gall and wormwood
Something very bitter or unpleasant to endure
gall and wormwood
Extremely disagreeable and annoying. . And I said, My strength and my nope is perished from the Lord: Remembering my affliction _and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. — Lam. iii, 18, 19.
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.
Galley Halfpence
Silver coin brought over by merchants ("galley-men") from Genoa, who
Gallia Comata
That part of Gaul which belonged to the Roman emperor, and was governed by legates (legati), was so called from the long hair (coma) worn by the inhabitants flowing over their shoulders.
Gallic Wars
This word, converted into Tnnovantes, gave rise to the myth that the people referred to came from Troy. Sec TROYNOVANT.
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 and Gibbet
We are told in the book of Esther that Haman devised a gallows 50 cubits high on which to hang Mordecai, by way of commencing the extirpation of the Jews; but the favourite of Ahasuerus was himself hanged thereon. We have a repetition of this incident in the case of Enguerrand de Marigni,.
gallows bird
A grief, or pickpocket; also one that associates with them.
gallows humor
Humor that makes light of a dire or frightening situation
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.
Galway Jury
An enlightened, in- dependent jury. The expression has its birth in certain trials held in Ireland in 1635 upon the right of the king to the counties of Ireland. Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, and Mayo gave judgment in favour of the Crown, but Galway opposed it; whereupon the sheriff was fined £1,000, and each of the jurors £4,000.
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 ball
Great! Fab!
game face
A person's expression or attitude when competing or performing
Game Laws
A survival of the forest laws imposed by William the Conqueror. Game licences were first issued in 1784. The seasons during which certain game might be shot were set out in the Game Act of William IV, 1831.
game leg
A lame or wounded leg.
game leg
A lame leg. In this instance game is a dialect form of the Celtic cam, meaning crooked. It is of comparatively modern usage. Gammy is also used in this sense.
game out
To think through and plan for all possible outcomes or scenarios.
game over
A message signaling that the game has ended, usually because the player failed (for example by losing all of their lives) but sometimes following successful completion of the game.
game plan
A strategy or plan for achieving a goal
game, set, match
A complete victory, with all points won
gameness
Pluck, endurance, courage generally.
gamer leg
Vasculitis.
games
Thin, ill-shapped legs: a corruption of the French word jambes. Fancy gambs; sore or swelled legs.
gamie
gamekeeper
Gammer Gurton's Needle
The earliest English comedy with the exception of Ralph Roister Doister; acted at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1552, and printed in 1575. It was published as "By Mr. S. Mr. of Art," who remained unidentified until Isaac Reed in 1782 announced that it was Bishop Still. The comedy is vigorous and it closes with the discovery of Gammer Gurton's missing needle in the seat of Hodge's breeches.
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.
gandy dancer
a railroad worker who maintains tracks
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.
gang up
To join together to intimidate or overwhelm someone
gang up on
To join together to attack or intimidate someone