Giggles-nest. Have you found a giggles-nest? phr. (old).—Asked of a
person tittering, or one who laughs immoderately and senselessly.
Gig-lamps, subs. (common).—1. Spectacles. For synonyms, see Barnacles.
1848. Bradley, in Letter to J. C. H. Gig-lamps (certainly a
university term. I first heard it in 1848 or 1849, long before Mr.
Verdant Green was born or thought of).
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. ii., p. 140. You with the
gig-lamps, throw us your cigar.
1887. Punch, 30 July, p. 45. Jack’s a straw-thatched young joker in
gig-lamps.
1892. F. Anstey, Voces Populi. ‘At the Tudor Exhibition.’ Stop,
though, suppose she has spotted me? Never can tell with giglamps.
2. (common).—One who wears spectacles; a four eyes (q.v.). [Popularised
by Verdant Green.]
Gigler (or Giglet, Goglet, Gigle, Gig), subs. (old).—A wanton; a
mistress. Giglet (West of England) = a giddy, romping girl; and in
Salop a flighty person is called a giggle. Cf., Gig, sense 1.
1533. Udal, Floures for Latine Spekynge, fo. 101. What is the
matter, foolish giglotte? What meanest thou? Whereat laughest thou?
1567. Harman, Caveat, leaf 22, back. Therefore let us assemble
secretly into the place where he hath appoynted to meet this gyleot
that is at your house.
1603. Shakspeare, Measure for Measure, v., 1. Let him speak no
more: away with those giglots too, and with the other confederate
companion.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Gadrouillette, minx, gigle, flirt.
1620. Massienger, Fatal Dowry, Act. iii. If this be The recompence
of striving to preserve A wanton gigglet honest, very shortly
’Twill make all mankind pandars.
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew, s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Gigglers, wanton women.
Adj. (old).—Loose in word and deed. Also giglet-like, and giglet-wise =
like a wanton.
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., Act v., Sc. 1. Young Talbot was not
born To be the pillage of a giglot wench.
1600. Fairfax, Jerusalem Delivered, vi., 72. That thou wilt gad by
night in giglet-wise, Amid thine armed foes to seek thy shame.
Gild, verb. (old).—To make drunk; to flush with drink.
1609. Shakspeare, Tempest, Act v., Sc. 1. This grand liquor that
hath gilded them.
1620. Fletcher, Chances, iv., 3. Is she not drunk, too? A little
gilded o’er, sir.
To gild the pill, phr. (colloquial).—To say, or do, unpleasant things
as gently as may be; to impose upon; to bamboozle (q.v.).
Gilded Rooster, subs. phr. (American).—A man of importance; a howling
swell (q.v.); sometimes the gilded rooster on the top of the steeple.
Cf., big-bug; big dog of the tanyard, etc.
1888. New York Herald. We admit that as a metropolis Chicago is the
gilded rooster on top of the steeple, but even gilded roosters have
no right to the whole corn bin.
Gilderoy’s Kite. To be hung higher than gilderoy’s kite, verb. phr.
(old).—To be punished more severely than the very worst criminals. ‘The
greater the crime the higher the gallows’ was at one time a practical
legal axiom. Hence, out of sight; completely gone.
Giles’ Greek. See St. Giles’ Greek.
Gilguy, subs. (nautical).—Anything which happens to have slipped the
memory; equivalent to what’s-his-name or thingamytight.
Gilkes, subs. (old).—Skeleton keys.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874).
Gilkes or the Gigger, false keyes for the doore or picklockes.
Gill (or Jill), subs. (old).—1. A girl; (2) a sweetheart: e.g., ‘every
Jack must have his Gill’; (3) a wanton, a strumpet (an abbreviation of
gillian). For synonyms, see Jomer and Titter.
1586–1606. Warner, Albion’s England, bk. vii., ch. 37. The simplest
gill or knave.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes, Palandrina, a common queane, a
harlot, a strumpet, a gill.
1620. Percy, Folio MSS., p. 104. There is neuer a Jacke for gill.
1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.