Verb (colloquial).—Goggle = to roll the eyes; to stare.
1577–87. Holinshed, Description of Ireland, ch. i. They goggle with
their eyes hither and thither.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Goggle, to stare.
1820–37. Walpole, Letters, iii., 174. He goggled his eyes.
1880. Millikin, Punch’s Almanack, April. Scissors! don’t they
goggle and look blue.
Gogmagog, subs. (colloquial).—A goblin; a monster; a frightful
apparition.—Hood.
Going, subs. (colloquial).—The condition of a road, a piece of ground,
a cinder-path: i.e., the accommodation for travelling. E.g., the going
is bad.
1872. Morning Post, 19 Aug. The Lamb’s starting in the Frankfort
steeple-chase will depend upon the state of the ground, and,
avoiding Wiesbaden, where the going is indifferent.
1883. Daily Telegraph, 23 Nov. The going was wonderfully clean for
the time of year.
Goings-on, subs. (colloquial).—Behaviour; proceedings; conduct. Cf.,
Carryings on.
1845. Douglas Jerrold, Mrs. Caudle, Lecture viii. Pretty place it
must be where they don’t admit women. Nice goings-on, I daresay,
Mr. Caudle.
1870. Lloyd’s Newspaper, 11 Sept. ‘Review.’ Elsie is beloved by
Gawthwaite, the village schoolmaster, and he takes her to task for
her goings-on.
Goldarned (or Goldurned, Goldasted, etc.), adj. (common).—A mild form
of oath: = Blamed (q.v.); Bloody (q.v.). See Oaths. As intj., Goldarn
it! etc.
1888. American Humorist. ‘Bill, are you hurt?’ ‘Yes, by gum; I’ve
broke my goldarned neck.’
1888. Cincinnati Enquirer. Finally, Deacon Spalding broke out with:
‘That goldasted St. Louis mugwump has made suckers of us again with
his cracks about coming into the league. I move we adjourn.’
Gold-backed ’Un, subs. (common).—A louse. Also Grey-backed ’un. For
synonyms, see Chates.
Gold Bug, subs. phr. (American).—A man of wealth and (inferentially)
distinction; a millionaire. See Bug.
1888. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Mar. 5. I do not think the feeling
against silver is anything like as strong as it was. Of course, a
few gold bugs might fight him.
Gold-dropper, subs. (old).—A sharper. An old-time worker of the
confidence trick. See quots. Also Gold-finder.
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew, s.v. Gold-droppers, Sweetners, Cheats,
Sharpers.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Gold-finder (s.) ... also a
cant name for a cheat, who under the pretence of finding a piece of
money, and inviting a by-stander to partake of a treat, etc., out
of it, endeavours to get him to play at cards, dice, etc., in order
to win or cheat him of his money; they are sometimes also called
guinea-droppers.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Sharpers who drop a piece of gold,
which they pick up in the presence of some unexperienced person,
for whom the trap is laid, this they pretend to have found, and, as
he saw them pick it up, they invite him to a public house to
partake of it: when there, two or three of their comrades drop in,
as if by accident, and propose cards, or some other game, when they
seldom fail of stripping their prey.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
Golden-cream, subs. (thieves’).—Rum.
1889. Clarkson and Richardson, Police, p. 321, s.v.
Gold-end Man, subs. phr. (old).—An itinerant jeweller; a buyer of old
gold and silver. [Gold-end = a broken piece of jewellery.] Also
Goldsmith’s Apprentice. See Eastward Hoe.
1610. Jonson, Alchemist, ii., 1. I know him not, he looks like a
gold-end man.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, iii., 1. Hig. Have ye any ends of
gold or silver?
Golden Grease, subs. phr. (old).—A fee; also a bribe. For synonyms, see
Palm Oil.
Goldfinch, subs. (old).—1. A well-to-do man; a warm ’un (q.v.).
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Goldfinch, c. He that has
alwaies a Purse or Cod of Gold in his Fob.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1852. Judson, Mysteries, etc., of New York, ch. iv. ‘Was the swell
a goldfinch?’ ‘He wasn’t nothin’ else. Got a clean ten times ten
out of him.’
Ibid. ‘It’ll be a great lay, if the game’s fat. Is it a goldfinch?’
‘Fifty thousand, hard dust.’