Gritty, adj. (American).—Plucky; courageous; resolute; full of
character.
1847. Robb, Squatter Life, p. 106. There never was a grittyer crowd
congregated on that stream.
Grizzle, verb. (colloquial).—To fret. Also to grizzle one’s guts.
1872. Miss Braddon, To the Bitter End, ch. xvi. ‘If the locket’s
lost, it’s lost,’ she said philosophically; ‘and there’s no use in
grizzling about it.’
Grizzle-guts (or Grizzle- or Glum-pot). subs. (common).—A melancholy or
ill-tempered person; a sulkington (q.v.).
Groaner, subs. (old).—A thief plying his trade at funerals or religious
gatherings.
1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Groaning, subs. (old).—The act of parturition. Also, adj., parturient;
or appertaining to parturition: as in groaning-malt (Scots’) = drink
for a lying-in; groaning-pains = the pangs of delivery; groaning-wife =
a woman ready to lie-in.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav. (Chiswick Press, 1892), p. 92. As
smoothe as a groaning-wive’s bellie.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, iii., 2. It would cost you a groaning to
take off my edge.
1786. Burns, The Rantin’ Dog the Daddie O’t. Wha will bring the
groaning-malt?
Groats, subs. (nautical).—The chaplain’s monthly allowance.
To save one’s groats, verb. phr. (old University).—To come off
handsomely. [At the Universities nine groats are deposited in the hands
of an academic officer by every person standing for a degree, which, if
the depositor obtains, with honour, are returned to him.—Grose.]
Grocery, subs. (common).—1. Small change.
1728. Bailey, Eng. Dict., s.v.