1845. New York Tribune, 26 Nov. Very well, gentlemen! gouge Mr.
Crosby out of the seat, if you think it wholesome to do it.
1874. W. D. Howells, Foregone Conclusions, ch. iii. The man’s a
perfect Jew—or a perfect Christian, one ought to say in Venice; we
true believers do gouge so much more infamously here.
1885. Bret Harte, A Ship of ’49, ch. i. He’s regularly gouged me in
that ’ere horsehair spekilation.
Gouger, subs. (American).—A cheat; a swindler. For synonyms, see Rook.
Gouging, subs. (American).—Cheating.
Goujeers. See Goodyear.
Gourd, subs. (old).—False dice with a cavity within, which in Fullams
(q.v.) was filled with lead to give a bias. See also High-men and
Low-men.
1544. Ascham, Toxophylus. What false dyse use they? as dyse stopped
with quicksilver and heares, dyse of vauntage, flattes, gourds, to
chop and chaunge when they liste.
1596. Shakspeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, i., 3. Let vultures gripe
thy guts! for gourd and fullam holds, And high and low beguiles the
rich and poor.
1616. Beaumont and Fletcher, Scornful Lady, iv. And thy dry bones
can reach at nothing now But gourds or nine-pins; pray go fetch a
trencher, go.
Gourock Ham, subs. (common).—A salt herring (Gourock was formerly a
great fishing village). For synonyms, see Glasgow Magistrate.
Government-man, subs. (old Australian).—A convict.
1864. Smythe, Ten Months in Fiji Islands, q.v.
1883. Graphic, 17 Mar., p. 262, c. 3. They never settle down as
thousands of our Government men cheerfully did in Australia after
they had their freedom.
Government-securities, subs. (common).—Handcuffs; fetters generally.
For synonyms, see Darbies.
Government-signpost, subs. (old).—The gallows. For synonyms, see
Nubbing-cheat.
1887. A. Barrère, Argot and Slang, p. 272. Montagne du géant. Fr.
(obsolete), gallows, scrag, nobbing cheat, or government signpost.
Governor (or Guv), subs. (common).—1. A father. Also relieving officer;
old ’un; pater; nibso; and his nibs. Applied to elderly people in
general. Fr., le géniteur and l’ancien (= the old ’un).
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xx. p. 169. ‘You’re quite certain it
was them, governor?’ inquired Mr. Weller, junior. ‘Quite, Sammy,
quite,’ replied his father.
1841. Punch, vol. I., p. 28. But—mind! don’t tell the governor!
1852. Comic Almanack, p. 19. Your father: Speaking to him, say
‘Guvnor,’ or ‘Old Strike-a-light;’ of him, ‘The old un.’
1859. Witty Political Portraits, p. 111. Unconscious of the
constitutional delusions on which his governor has thrived.
1889. Answers, 20 Apr., p. 323. To call your father ‘The Governor’
is, of course, slang, and is as bad as referring to him as ‘The
Boss,’ ‘The Old Man,’ or ‘The Relieving Officer.’
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 9 Jan. It was mortifying to be done in
that manner by a low fellow like Muggins, that I had always looked
upon as a fool, and had made a butt of when the guv. was out of the
way.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 118. The Governor is
in an awful funk about him.