1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, ii. Go on, be the game mistress of the town and entice all our young fops as fast as they come from travel.
Cock of the Game, subs. phr. (old).—A champion; an undoubted blood; a star of magnitude (cock-pit).
1719. Durfey, Pills, iii., 329. Now all you tame gallants, you that have the name, And would accounted be cocks of the game.
1822. Scott, Nigel, xiv. I have seen a dung-hill chicken that you meant to have picked clean enough; it will be long ere his lordship ruffles a feather with a cock of the game.
To make game of, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To turn into ridicule; to delude; to humbug.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1331. Do they not seek occasion of new quarrels, On my refusal, to distress me more; Or make a game of my calamities?
1690. B. E., New Dictionary. What you game me? c. do you jeer me, or pretend to expose me to make a May-game of me?
1745. Hist. of Coldstream Guards, 25 Oct. If the militia are reviewed tomorrow by his Majesty, the soldiers of the third regiment of Guards are to behave civilly and not to laugh or to make any game of them.
To die game, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To maintain a resolute attitude to the last; to show no contrition.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. To die game, to suffer at the gallows without showing any signs of fear or repentance.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. liv. The ruffian lay perfectly still and silent. 'He's gaun to die game ony how,' said Dinmont.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick (ed. 1857), p. 363. I say that the coachman did not run away; but that he died game—game as pheasants; and I won't hear nothin' said to the contrary.
1869. Spencer, Study of Sociology, ch. viii., p. 183 (9th ed.). Nor should we forget the game-cock, supplying, as it does, a word of eulogy to the mob of roughs who witness the hanging of a murderer, and who half condone his crime if he dies game.
1871. Times, 30 Jan. Critique on London, etc. The principal was acquitted, and though his accomplices were hung in Pall Mall at the scene of their act, they died game.
To get against the game, verb. phr. (American).—To take a risk; to chance it. [From the game of poker].
To play the game, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To do a thing properly; to do what is right and proper.
1889. Geoffrey Drage, Cyril, ch. vii. I really think he is . . . not playing the game.
The first game ever played, subs. phr. (venery).—Copulation. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.
Gamecock, adj. (old).—Hectoring;
angry; valiant out of place.
1838. Lever, Handy Andy. Smoke and fire is my desire, So blaze away my gamecock squire.
Gameness, subs. (colloquial).—Pluck;
endurance; the mixture of
spirit and bottom.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. xxiv. There was no doubt about his gameness.
1884. Referee, 23 March, p. 1, c. 4. Carter fought with great gameness, but he never had a look in.
Gamester, subs. (old).—1. A prostitute.
For synonyms, see Barrack-hack
and tart.
1598. Shakspeare, All's Well, v. 3. Shes impudent, my lord, and was a common gamester to the camp.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair ii. 1. Ay, ay, gamesters, mocke a plain soft wench of the suburbs, do.
