gallimaufry
A kind of stew, made up of scraps of various kinds. Sea term, and probably meaning the galley scraps.
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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
ganger
The person who superintends the work of a gang, or a number of navigators.
ganj
ganja.
gank
To swindle.
gaoler's coach
A hurdle: traitors being usually conveyed from the gaol, to the place of execution, on a hurdle or sledge.
gap yah
A gap year.
gap-lapper
A lesbian.
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.
gapers' block
Traffic congestion caused by drivers slowing down to gawk at an incident
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.
Garbage Island
Taiwan.
garbaggio
Garbage.
garbonzas
breasts
garden
Among tradesmen signifies Covent GARDEN Market; among theatrical performers, Covent GARDEN Theatre.
Garden of England
Kent and Worcestershire are both so called. Garden of Europe. Italy.
Garden of France
Amboise, in the depart- ment of Indre-et-Loire; also Touraine.
Garden of the Sun
The East Indian (or Malayan) Archipelago.
Garden of the West
Illinois; Kansas ("the Garden State") is also so called.
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