Gordon Riots
Riots in 1780, headed by Lord George Gordon, to compel the House or Commons to repeal the bill passed in 1778 for the relief of Roman Catholics.
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goree
Money, chiefly gold: perhaps from the traffic carried on at that place, which is chiefly for gold dust. CANT.
gorg
gorgeous
gorge
Gorgeous.
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.
Gorham Controversy
This arose out of the refusal (1848) of the bishop of Exeter to institute the Rev. Cornelius Gorham to the vicarage of Brampford Speke, "because he held unsound views on the doctrine of bap- tism.'* After two years* controversy, the Privy Council decided in favour of Mr. Gorham.
gorilla in the room
An obvious problem or issue that nobody wants to discuss
gorilla salad
Pubic hair.
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 history
Her feast is July 22nd. In art she is represented either as young and beautiful, with a profusion of hair, and holding a box of ointment, or as a penitent, in a sequestered place, reading before a cross or skull.
gospel shop
A church.
goss
Gossip.
goss
A hat—from the gossamer silk of which modern hats are made.
gossip is vice enjoyed vicariously
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
got it going on
Has something good happening or is very attractive
gotch-gutted
Pot bellied: a gotch in Norfolk signifying a pitcher, or large round jug.
gotchies
underpants
goth
An uncultivated person. One who is ignorant of the ways of society.
Gothic Architecture
A style prevalent in Western Europe from the 12th to the 16th centuries, characterized by the pointed arch, clustered columns, etc. The name has nothing to do with the Goths, but was bestowed in contempt by the architects of the Renaissance period on mediasval architecture, which they termed clumsy, fit only for barbarians or Goths.
government sign-post
The gallows. This is necessarily almost obsolete.
Government Stroke
Early Australian slang for taking a long tune over very little work; still a common expression in that country.
governor
A father, a master or superior person, an elder; "which way, GUV’NER, to Cheapside?"
Governor General
Each independent state was left to decide for itself to which of the two dominions it would belong.
gowl
vulva.
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.
grab and go
Take something quickly and leave immediately
grab by the lapels
to confront or seize someone's attention forcefully
grab the bull by the horns
Take control of a difficult situation with confidence and determination
grab the popcorn
Prepare to watch something entertaining or dramatic unfold
grabba
tobacco
Grace card
The six of hearts is so called in Kilkenny. One of the family of Grace, of Courtstown, in Ireland, equipped at his own expense a regiment of foot and troop of horse, in the service of James II. William III promised him high honours if he would join the new party, but the indignant baron wrote on a card, "Tell your master I despise his orTer." The card was the six of hearts, and hence the name.
Grace cup
This is a large tankard or goblet from which the last draught at a banquet is drunk, the cup being passed from guest to guest. The name is also applied to a strong brew, as at Oxford, of beer flavoured with lemon-peel, nutmeg and sugar, and very brown toast.
graceful degradation
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Graceless florin
The first issue of the English florin (1849), called "Grace- less" because the letters D.G. ("by God's grace") were omitted, and "Godless" because of the omission of F.D. ("Defender of the Faith").
gradge
garage
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.
Grahame's Dyke
A popular name for the remains of the old Roman wall between the firths of Clyde and Forth, the Wall of An- toninus.
grail quest
He appears in the Welsh Triads and the Mabinogion as Gwalchmei, and in the Arthurian cycle is the centre of many episodes and poems. The Middle English poem (about 1360), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is a romance telling how Gawain beheads the Green Knight hi single combat.
grain of truth
a small amount of truth in an otherwise false statement
grammar Nazi
Someone who corrects others' grammar or language usage excessively
grammar police
People who correct others' grammar or language usage
Grand Dauphin
Louis, Due de Bourgogne (1661-1711), eldest son of Louis XIV, for whose use was published the Delphin Classics
Grand Masters
Freemasonry has been con- demned by the Holy See not only for being a secret S9ciety but for its alleged subversive aims — aims that may be cherished by Contin- ental Masons but which are quite unknown to their British and American brethren.
grand passion
An intense, all-consuming romantic love
grand poobah
A person who holds an important or influential position
grand scheme
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
grand total
the total amount after all parts are added together
Grandison Cromwell
The nickname given by Mirabeau to Lafayette (1757-1834), implying that he had all the ambition of a Cromwell, but wanted to appear before men as a Sir Charles Grandison.
grandstand play
An action done to impress others
Granite Redoubt
The grenadiers of the Consular Guard were so called at the battle of Marengo in 1800, because when the French had given way they formed into a square, stood like stone against the Austrians, and stopped all further advance.
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.
granny dumping
Abandoning an elderly relative, usually at a hospital or public place
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