1883. Referee, 24 June, p. 3, c. 2. An Actor's Benevolent Fund box placed on the treasurer's desk every day when the ghost walks would get many an odd shilling or sixpence put into it.
1885. The Stage, p. 112. The rogues seldom appear at a loss for a plausible story when it is time for the ghost to walk. Ibid. The next day the ghost declines to walk.
1889. J. C. Colman (in Slang, Jargon, and Cant), p. 405. Ghost-walking, a term originally applied by an impecunious stroller in a sharing company to the operation of 'holding the treasury,' or paying the salaries, which has become a stock facetiæ among all kinds and descriptions of actors. Instead of enquiring whether the treasury is open, they generally say—'Has the ghost walked?' or 'What, has this thing appeared again?' (Shakspeare).
1890. Illustrated Bits, 29 Mar., p. 11, c. 1. And a few nights with empty benches laid the ghost completely. It could not even walk to the tune of quarter salaries.
The ghost of a chance, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The faintest likelihood, or the slightest trace: e.g., He hasn't the ghost of a chance.
1891. Sportsman, 26 Mar. He did not give the ghost of a chance.
Ghoul, subs. (American.)—1. A
spy; specifically a man who
preys on such married women as
addict themselves to assignation
houses.
2. (journalistic).—A newspaper chronicler of the smallest private tittle-tattle.
Gib, subs. (colloquial).—1. Gibraltar.
Once a penal station:
whence—2. A gaol.
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 221. I did a lagging of seven, and was at the gib three out of it.
1892. Pall Mall Gazette, 23 Mar., p. 6, c. 1. 'Stormy Weather at gib.' The weather here has been fearful; 51 inches of rain have been registered, and the land for miles round Gibraltar is submerged.
To hang one's gib, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To pout. See Jib.
Gibberish (or Gebberish, Gibberidge,
Gibrige, etc.), subs.
(old: now recognised).—Originally
the lingo of gipsies, beggars,
etc. Now, any kind of inarticulate
nonsense. [From gibber, a
variant of Jabber.] See Cant,
Slang, Pedlar's French, etc.
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller, in wks., v., 68. That all cried out upon him mightily in their gibrige, lyke a companie of beggers.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Gergare, to speak fustian, pedlers french,. or rogues language, or gibbrish.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Jargon, gibridge fustian language, pedlers French, a barbarus jangling.
1638. H. Shirley, Martyr'd Souldier, Act iii., Sc. 4. Feele my pulse once again and tell me, Doctor, Tell me in tearmes that I may understand,—I doe not love your gibberish,—tell me honestly Where the Cause lies, and give a Remedy.
1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Gibberish (s.) an unintelligible jargon, or confused way of speaking, used by the gipsies, beggars, etc., to disguise their wicked designs; also any discourse where words abound more than sense.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Random, ch. xxx. He repeated some gibberish which by the sound seemed to be Irish.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. viii. Since that dd clerk of mine has taken his gibberish elsewhere.
1850. D. Jerrold The Catspaw Act i. Odds and ends . . . writ down in such a kind of gibberish that I can't make out one of 'em.
1858. G. Eliot, Mr. Gilfit's Love Story, ch. iv. It'll learn to speak summat better nor gibberish, an' be brought up i' the true religion.
1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 129. It was Fo'c's'le Jack that piped and drawled his ungrammatical gibberish.
