Goodman-turd, subs. (old).—A contemptible fellow; a bad-egg (q.v.).
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Dometa, an old worde for a shitten
fellow, or goodman-turde.
Good Night! intj. phr. (general).—A retort to an incredible statement
or a delightful piece of news. See Carry me out!
Good-people, subs. (old colloquial).—The fairies.
1828. G. Griffin, Collegians, ch. v. An nothin’ shows itself now by
night, neither spirits nor good people.
1848. Forster, Oliver Goldsmith, bk. I., ch. 1, p. 8 (5th ed.). A
small old parsonage house (supposed afterwards to be haunted by the
fairies, or good people of the district).
1891. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 168. ‘Did ever ye hear tell of
the story of the Man and the Good People?’—by which he meant the
fairies.
Good (or Good Old) Sort, subs. phr. (popular).—A man of social and
other parts.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 149. Had we not
better make a clean breast of it, and trust to his generosity; he
seems a good sort?
Good Thing, subs. phr. (colloquial).—Something worth having or backing;
a bon mot; good goods (q.v.). In racing a presumed cert (q.v.).
1844. Puck, p. 63. Here’s to the good thing whose neatness we
prize.
1884. Saturday Review, 2 Aug., p. 147, c. 2. The Goodwood Stakes
was considered a good thing for Florence, who has proved herself to
be an extraordinary mare.
1888. Sporting Life, 10 Dec. In a field of four, Livingstone, who
was voted a good thing, was served up a warm favourite.
1891. Daily Telegraph, 21 Mar. It had been generally anticipated
that this was a good thing for Oxford.
1892. Ally Sloper, 19 Mar., p. 90, c. 3. That them as trades in
rags and bones Makes more than them as writes good things.
Good Time, subs. phr. (old).—A carouse; a friendly gathering; an
enjoyable bout at anything.
To have a good time, verb. phr. (old).—To be fortunate or lucky; to
enjoy oneself; to make merry. See Cocum.
1596. Jonson, Every Man in His Humour, i., 2. As not ten housewives
pewter, again a good time, shews more bright to the world than he!
[= some festival, ‘when housewives are careful to set out their
furniture to the best advantage.’—Note by Whalley, given in
Cunningham’s Gifford’s Jonson (1870)].
1863. A. Trollope, Rachel Ray, ii., 6., 109. Eating cake and
drinking currant wine, but not having, on the whole, what our
American friends call a good time of it.
1864. Yates, Broken to Harness, ch. xxxviii. And what have you been
doing? Had a good time?
1883. Bret Harte, In the Carquinez Woods, ch. ix. But we must keep
it dark until after I marry Nellie, don’t you see. Then we’ll have
a good time all round, and I’ll stand the drinks.
1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 14. My idea
of man’s chief end was to enrich the world with things of beauty,
and have a fairly good time myself while doing so.
Good ’un, subs. phr. (colloquial).—1. A man, woman, or thing of decided
and undoubted merit. Cf., Good-girl.
1828–45. T. Hood, Poems, vi., p. 254 [ed. 1846]. A good ’un to look
at but bad to go.
1854. Martin and Aytoun, Bon Gaultier Ballads. ‘The Dirge of a
Drinker.’ Like a good ’un as he is.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 160. He’s a real good un, and when
his party plank the stuff down it’s generally a moral.
2. (colloquial).—An expression of derisive unbelief: e.g., a lie. See
Whopper.
Good-wooled, adj. phr. (American).—Of unflinching courage; of the
greatest merit; thoroughly dependable.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Goody, subs. (popular).—1. A matron: the correllative of goodman =
husband. (Used like auntie, and mother, and gammer, in addressing or
describing an inferior.) (A corruption of good-wife).
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Mona, ... Also a nickname for
women as we say gammer, goodie, goodwife, such a one.
1689. Accts. of the Churchwardens of Sprowston. Paid goody Crabbin
for washing the surplis and church powrch, 1s. 3d.
d. 1732. Gay. Swarm’d on a rotten stick the bees I spy’d Which erst
I saw when goody Dopon dy’d.
d. 1745. Swift. Plain goody would no longer down: ’Twas Madam in
her grogram gown.
1802. Bloomfield, Rural Tales, ‘Richard and Kate.’ Come, Goody,
stop your humdrum wheel.
1816. Johnson, Eng. Dict. s.v. A low term of civility used to mean
persons.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, ‘The Witches’ Frolic.’ Old Goody
Price, Had got something nice.
Hence Goodyship = ‘ladyship.’
1663. Butler, Hudibras, pt. 1, c. 3. The more shame for her
goodyship, To give so near a friend the slip.
2. (colloquial).—A religious hypocrite, male or female; the ‘unco guid’
of Burns.
1836. Kidd, London Ambulator, p. 14. Clapham is celebrated for
goodies—ladies of a certain age, who not having succeeded in
finessing for husbands, betake themselves to a religious life as a
dernier resort.
Hence goody-goodyism = sentimental piety.
1892. Pall Mall Gaz., 23 Nov., p. 3., c. 1. The Christmas tale of
adventure ... has perhaps cast off its element of goody-goodyism,
but the general features and cast are as of old.
3. generally in. pl. (colloquial).—Sweetmeats; bon-bons; cakes and
buns.
1853. Mayhew, Letters Left at a Pastrycook’s. Propped up on each
side with bags of oranges, cakes, and goodies.
1855. H. A. Murray, Lands of the Slave and the Free, ch. xii.
Adjourning from time to time to some café for the purpose of eating
ices or sucking goodies.