a. 1871. Emerson (quoted in De Vere's Amer.). 'Tis odd that our people should have not water on the brain, but a little gas there.
1889. Globe, 31 Oct., p. 4, c. 4. It went on to state that the petitioner's talk about a divorce was all gas, and made a further appointment.
Verb. (common).—1. To talk idly; to brag; to bounce; to talk for talking's sake. Fr., faire son cheval de corbillard (in American 'to be on the tall grass.') See Long Bow.
1872. Lond. Figaro, 14 Dec. There is no good to be got out of gassing about raliying around standards, uniting as one man to resist, etc.
1875. 'American English' in Chambers' Jour., 25 Sept., p. 610. To gas is to talk only for the purpose of prolonging a debate.
1885. Society, 7 Feb., p. 7. Agitators and place-seekers may gas as much as they please, but they cannot make black appear white.
2. (common).—To impose on by 'gas'; to pill (q.v.); To splash (q.v.). For synonyms, see Gammon.
To take the gas out of one, verb. phr. (common).—To take the conceit out of; to take down a peg.
To turn on the gas, verb. phr. (common).—To begin bouncing; also to Gas (q.v.).
To turn off the gas, verb. phr. (common).—To cease, or cause to cease, from bouncing, vapouring, or Gas (q.v.).
To gas round, verb. phr. (common).—To seek information on the sly; also to Gas (q.v.).
Gas-Bag, subs. (common).—A
man of words or gas (q.v.); a
gasconader. Also gasometer.
For synonyms, see Mouth
Almighty.
1889. Referee, 6 Jan. That great gas-bag of modern days.
Gash, subs. (American).—1. The
mouth. For synonyms, see
potato-trap.
1878. H. B. Stowe, Poganuc People, ch. xiv., p. 122. Ef Zeph Higgins would jest shet up his gash in town-meetin', that air school-house could be moved fast enough.
2. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see Monosyllable.
Gashly, adj. (common).—A vulgarism
for ghastly.
Gaskins, subs. (old).—Wide hose;
wide breeches. [From Galli-*gaskins.
Johnson says, 'an old
ludicrous word.']
Gasp, subs. (common).—A dram
of spirits. For synonyms, see Go.
Verb. (common).—To drink a dram, e.g., 'Will you gasp?' = Will you take something neat.
Gaspipe, subs. (nautical).—1. An
iron steamer, whose length is nine
or ten times her beam. [At one
time a ship's length but rarely exceeded
four and a half to five times
the beam.]
2. (printers').—Bad rollers.
3. (common).—A rifle; specifically the Snider.
1883. Daily Telegraph, 9 July, p. 5, col. 7. The old Snider—the despair-breeding gas-pipe of our Volunteers—continues to be used in many of the competitions.
Gaspipe-crawler, subs. phr.
(common).—A thin man. Cf.,
Lamp-post.
