1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogues Lexicon. Deck the gage, see the
man.
Gagers, subs. (American).—The eyes. For synonyms, see Glims.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Gagga, subs. (old).—See quot.
1796. Grose, Vulg. Tongue (3rd Ed). Cheats who by sham pretences
and wonderful stories of their sufferings impose on the credulity
of good people.
Gagger, subs. (theatrical).—A player who deals in gags (q.v.), sense 2.
Also Gaggist, Gagmaster, and Gagster.
1841. Punch, Vol. I., p. 169. Men with ‘swallows’ like Thames
tunnels, in fact accomplished gaggers and unrivalled ‘wiry
watchers.’
1887. Burnand and a’Beckett in Fortn. Review, April, p. 548. Robson
... was an inveterate gagger.
1890. Globe, 3 March, p. 1, c. 4. The low comedy was much toned
down.... In other words, the gaggers were gagged.
Gaggery, subs. (theatrical).—The practice of Gagging (q.v.), sense 3.
Gagging, subs. (old).—1. Bluff (q.v.); specifically, bunco-steering
(q.v.), the art of talking over and persuading a stranger that he is an
old acquaintance. Cf., Gag, verb, sense 2.
1828. G. Smeaton, Doings in London, p. 28. One of the modes of
raising money, well known in town by the flash name of gagging, has
been practised of late to a considerable extent on simple
countrymen, who are strangers to the ‘ways of town.’