1600. Shakspeare, Much Ado about Nothing, ii., 3. I should think
this a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie, q.v.
3. (Oxford Univ.).—A swindler; a trickster. Cf., Gull-catcher, of which
it is probably an abbreviation.
1825. The English Spy, v. I., p. 161. ‘You’ll excuse me, sir, but
as you are fresh, take care to avoid the gulls.’ ‘I never
understood that gulls were birds of prey,’ said I. ‘Only in Oxford,
sir, and here, I assure you, they bite like hawks.’
Verb (old: now recognised).—To cheat; to dupe; to victimise; to take in
(q.v.). in any fashion and to any purpose.
1596. Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, v. This is a mere trick, a
device, you are gulled in this most grossly.
1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, ii., 3. Mar. For Monsieur
Maluolio, let me alone with him; If I do not gull him into a
nayword, and make him a common recreation, do not thinke I haue
witte enough to lye straight in my bed; I know I can do it.
1607. Rowlands, Diogenes, his Lanthorne, p. 11 (H. C. Rept. 1873).
He promist me good stuffe truly, a great pennyworth indeed, and
verily did gull me.
1610. Jonson, Alchemist, v., 2. Hast thou gulled her of her jewels
or her bracelets?
1639. Selden, Table Talk, p. 98 (Arber’s ed.). Presbyters have the
greatest power of any Clergy in the world, and gull the Laity most.
1778. Sketches for Tabernacle-Frames, p. 25, note. These fanatical
Preachers frequently squeeze out Tears to gull their Audience.
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, I., 472. It’s generally
the lower order that he gulls.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, ix. Pay your debts, and
gull the world a little longer.
Hence Gullible, adj., = easily duped.
1841. Thackeray, Character Sketches, ‘Fashionable Authoress.’ And,
gulled themselves, gull the most gullable of publics.
Gullage, subs. (old colloquial).—The act of trickery; the state of
being gulled.
1605. B. Jonson, Volpone, v., 5. Had you no quirk To avoid gullage,
sir, by such a creature?
1611. Chapman, May Day, Act II., p. 284 (Plays, 1874). For
procuring you the dear gullage of my sweetheart, Mistress
Franceschina.
Gull-catcher (or Guller, Gull-sharper, etc.), subs. (old).—A trickster;
a cheat. See Gull, senses 1 and 3.
1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, ii., 5. Here comes my noble
gull-catcher.
Gullery, subs. (old colloquial).—Dupery; fraud; a cheat’s device. Cf.,
Gullage.
1596. Jonson, Every Man in His Humour, iii., 2. Your Balsamum and
your St. John’s wort are all mere gulleries and trash to it.
1608. John Day, Humour out of Breath, Act iv., Sc. 3. I am gulld,
palpably gulld ... and mine owne gullery grieves me not half so
much as the Dukes displeasure.
1630. Taylor, Works. Neverthelesse, whosoever will but looke into
the lying legend of golden gullery, there they shall finde that the
poore seduced ignorant Romanists doe imitate all the idolatrous
fornication of the heathen pagans and infidels.
1633. Ile of Guls. Upon you both, so, so, so, how greedily their
inventions like beagles follow the sent of their owne gullery, yet
these are no fooles, God forbid, not they.
1633. Marmion, Fine Companion. Lit. What more gulleries yet? they
have cosend mee of my daughters, I hope they will cheate me of my
wife too: have you any more of these tricks to shew, ha?
1689. Selden, Table Talk, p. 38 (Arber’s ed.). And how can it be
proved, that ever any man reveal’d Confession, when there is no
Witness? And no man can be Witness in his own cause. A meer
gullery.
1819. H. More, Defence of Moral Cabbala, ch. iii. The sweet
deception and gullery of their own corrupted fancy.
1821. Scott, Kenilworth, ch. xx. Do you think, because I have
good-naturedly purchased your trumpery goods at your roguish
prices, that you may put any gullery you will on me?
Gullet, subs. (old: now recognised).—The throat. For synonyms, see
Gutter-alley.
1383. Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, 12, 477. [Quoted in Ency. Dict.]
Out of the harde bones knocken they The mary, for they casten
nought away, That may go thurgh the gullet soft and sote.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Gullet, s.v. A Derisory Term for the
Throat, from Gula.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. 15. So he puts a pistol to his mouth,
and he fires it down his gullet.
1893. National Observer, x. 168. Through sympathetic gullets.
Gull-finch, subs. (old).—A simpleton; a fool. For synonyms, see Buffle
and Cabbage-head.
1630. Taylor, Works. For ’tis concluded ’mongst the wizards all, To
make thee master of Gul-finches hall.
Gull-groper, subs. (old).—A gamesters’ money-lender.
1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candle-light. The gul-groper is
commonly an old mony-monger, who having travaild through all the
follyes of the world in his youth, knowes them well, and shunnes
them in his age, his whole felicitie being to fill his bags with
golde and silver.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Gull-groper, s.v. A Bystander that
Lends Money to the Gamesters.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Gully, subs. (common).—1. The throat. For synonyms, see Gutter-alley.