Gaily-like, adj. (American).—Showy; expensive: bang-up (q.v.).
1872. Clemens (Mark Twain), Undertaker's Chat. Now, you know how difficult it is to roust out such a gaily-like thing as that in a little one-horse town like this.
Gain-pain, subs. (old).—A sword;
specifically, in the Middle Ages,
that of a hired soldier. [From Fr.,
gagner = to gain + pain = bread.
Cf., Breadwinner (prostitutes')
and Potboiler (artists').] For
synonyms, see Cheese-toaster
and Poker.
Gait, subs. (colloquial).—Walk in
life; profession; mode of making
a living; game (q.v.).
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum. 'I say, Tim, what's your gait now?' 'Why, you see, I'm on the crack' (burglary).
Gaiters, subs. (American colloquial).—Half
boots; shoes.
Gal, subs. (common).—1. A girl;
a servant-maid; a sweetheart.
Best girl = favourite flame.
2. (common).—A prostitute. For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and Tart.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, I., p. 535. Upon the most trivial offence in this respect, or on the suspicion of an offence, the gals are sure to be beaten cruelly and savagely by their 'chaps.'
3. (American).—A female rough.
Galaney. See Galeny.
Galanty (Gallanty or
Galantee) Show, subs. phr.
(common).—A shadow pantomime:
silhouettes shown on a
transparency or thrown on a white
sheet by a magic lantern. Specifically,
the former. See Punch
and Judy.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, Vol. III., p. 81. The galantee show don't answer, because magic lanterns are so cheap in the shops.
1884. Cassell's Technical Educator, pt. 10, p. 244. That reminiscence of the nursery, the galanty show.
1888. Notes and Queries, 7 S. v., p. 265. A flourish on the panpipes and a rumble on the drum was followed by the cry, galanty-show!
Gal-boy, subs. (American).—A
romp; a tom-boy (q.v.).
Galen, subs. (common).—An
apothecary. For synonyms, see
Gallipot.
Galena, subs. (American).—Salt
pork. [From Galen, Ill., a chief
hog-raising and pork-packing
centre].
Galeny (or Galany), subs. (old).—The
domestic hen; now (West of
England) a Guinea fowl. [Latin,
gallina]. For synonyms, see
Cackling-cheat.
1887. Temple Bar, Mar., p. 333 It's a sin to think of the money you'd be spending on girls and things as don't know a hen's egg from a galeeny's.
Galimaufrey, subs. (old).—1. A
medley; a jumble; a chaos of
differences. [Fr., gallimaufrée =
a hash].
1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse, in wks., ii., 93. Coblers, Tinkers, Fencers, none escapt them, but they mingled them all on one gallimafrey of glory.
1592. John Day, Blind Beggar, Act iv., Sc. 1, p. 75. Can. Let me be torn into mammocks with wilde Bears if I make not a gallemaufry of thy heart and keep thy Skull for my quaffing bowl.
1604. Shakspeare, Winter's Tale, Act iv., Sc. 4. And they have a dance which the wenches say is a gallimaufry of gambols, because they are not in't.
1690. Durfey, Collin's Walk, ch, ii., p. 58. But, like thy Tribe of canting Widgeons, A gallimaufry of Religions.
