good woman
Preserved but no longer current.
Sense 1
A nondescript, represented on a famous sign in St. Giles's, in the form of a common woman, but without a head.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Examples
Tatoeba sentence #2893995 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 2
A not uncommon public-house sign, representing a woman without a head,—the ungallant allusion is that she cannot scold. Maybe, the publican does not think that it means also that she cannot drink. The Honest Lawyer, another sign, is depicted in the same manner.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “good woman” mean?
A nondescript, represented on a famous sign in St. Giles's, in the form of a common woman, but without a head.
Is “good woman” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.