1864. Derby Day, p. 18. I wasn't joking, there is an air of long-suffering about you, as if you had been mortifying the flesh by carrying a gampish umbrella up Piccadilly, and back again.
1881. Mac. Mag., Nov., p. 62. Grasping his gamp umbrella at the middle.
Gamut, subs. (artists').—Tone;
general scheme; swim (q.v.).
Thus in the gamut = a picture,
a detail, or a shade of colour,
in tone with its environment.
Gan (also Gane), subs. (old).—The
mouth. [A.S., ganian = to yawn.]
Occasionally = throat, lip. For
synonyms, see Potato-trap.
1512-13. Douglas, Virgil, 250, 29. To behald his ouglie ene twane, His teribill vissage, and his grislie gane.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 64. Gan, a mouth.
1610. Rowland, Martin Mark-all, p. 38. (H. Club's Rept., 1874). Gan, a mouth. Ibid. A gere peck in thy gan.
1656. Broome, A Jovial Crew, Act ii. This bowse is better than rombowse, it sets the gan a giggling.
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. I., ch. v., p. 49. (1874.) Gan, a lip.
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew. Ganns, the lips.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1881. New York Slang Dict., s.v.
Gander, subs. (colloquial).—A
married man; in America one
not living with his wife; a grass-widower
(q.v.).
Verb. (old).—To ramble; to waddle (as a goose). Also, to go in quest of women; to grouse (q.v.).
1859. H. Kingsley, Geoff. Hamblyn, ch. x. Nell might come gandering back in one of her tantrums.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. xlvii. She gandered upstairs to the dressing-room again.
Gone Gander.—See Gone Coon.
To see how the gander hops, verb. phr. (American.)—To watch events. A variant of To see how the cat jumps.
1847. Porter, Big Bear, p. 96. Seein' how the gander hopped I jumped up and hollered, Git out, Tromp, you old raskel!
What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, phr. (common).—A plea for consistency.
Gander-month, subs. (common).—The
month after confinement;
when a certain license (or so it
was held) is excusable in the
male. Also Gander-moon, the
husband at such a period being
called a Gander-mooner. Cf.,
Buck-hutch and Goose-month.
1617. Middleton, A Faire Quarrell, iv., 4. Wondering gander-mooners.
1653. Brome, English Moor in Fine New Playes. I'le keep her at the least this gander-month, while my fair wife lies-in.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
Gander-party, subs. (common).—A
gathering of men; a stag-party
(q.v.); also Bull-dance,
Gander-gang, etc. Cf., Hen-party
= an assembly of women.
Gander-pulling. See Goose-riding.
Gander's Wool, subs. phr. (common.)—Feathers.
Gang, subs. (old: now recognised).—A
troop; a company.
1639-61. Rump, i., 228. 'The Scotch War.' With his gay gang of Blue-caps all. Ibid ii., 104, 'The Gang; or, the Nine Worthies, etc.'
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew, s.v. Gang, an ill knot or crew of thieves, pick-*pockets or miscreants; also a society of potters under a regulation.
