Garnish, subs. (old).—1. A fee or footing (q.v.); specifically one exacted by gaolers and old prisoners from a newcomer. The practice was forbidden by 4 Geo. IV., c. 43, sec. 12. Also Garnish-Money.
1592. Greene, Quip, in works, xi., 256. Let a poore man be arrested into one of the counters [prisons] . . . he shall be almost at an angel's charge, what with garnish [etc.].
1606. T. Dekker, Seven Deadly Sinnes, p. 28 (Arber's ed.). So that the Counters are cheated of Prisoners, to the great dammage of those that shoulde have their morning's draught out of the garnish.
1632. Jonson, Magnetic Lady, v. 6. You are content with the ten thousand pounds Defalking the four hundred garnish-money?
1704. Steele, Lying Lover, Act iv., Sc. iv. But there is always some little trifle given to prisoners, they call garnish.
1752. Fielding, Amelia, Bk. I., ch. iii. Mr. Booth . . . was no sooner arrived in the prison, than a number of persons gathered round him, all demanding garnish.
1759. Goldsmith, The Bee, No. 5, p. 385 (Globe ed.). There are numberless faulty expenses among the workmen—clubs, garnishes, freedoms, and such like impositions.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xliv. [Jailor log.] Thirty shillings a week for lodgings, and a guinea for garnish.
2. (thieves').—Fetters; handcuffs. For synonyms, see Darbies.
Verb. (thieves').—To fit with fetters: to handcuff.
Garret, subs. (common).—1. The head; cockloft (q.v.); or upper storey (q.v.). For synonyms, see crumpet.
1625. Bacon, Apothgm, No. 17. My Lord St. Albans said that wise Nature did Never put her precious jewels into a garret four stories high, and therefore that exceeding tall men had ever very empty heads.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum., s.v.
1837. Barham, Ingold. Leg. What's called the claret Flew over the garret.
2. (old).—The fob-pocket.
To have one's garret unfurnished, verb. phr. (common). To be crazy, stupid, lumpish. For synonyms, see Apartments and Balmy.
Garreteer, subs. (thieves'). A thief whose speciality is to rob houses by entering skylights or garret-windows. Also dancer and dancing-master. For synonyms, see thieves.
2. (journalists').—An impecunious author; a literary hack.
1849-61. Macaulay, Hist., of Eng., ch. xxv. Garreteers, who were never weary of calling the cousin of the Earls of Manchester and Sandwich an upstart.
1886. Shelley (quoted in Dowden's Life), i., 47. Show them that we are no Grub-street garreteers.
1892. National Observer, 18 Mar., p. 453. Has proclaimed urbi et orbi that governments have no business to manufacture specious sentiment by greasing the palms of ignorant and greedy garreteers.
Garret-master, subs. (trade).—cabinet-maker who works on his own account, selling his manufacture to the dealers direct.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., ii., p. 376. These trading operatives are known by different names in different trades. In the shoe trade, for instance, they are called 'chamber-masters,' in the cabinet trade garret-masters, and in the cooper's trade the name for them is 'small trading-masters.'
