4. (venery).—The female pudendum. [A play on sense 2, and crack, (q.v.).] For synonym, see Monosyllable.
Adj. (colloquial).—Trivial; showy; worthless.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. ix. No shops so beautiful to look at as the Brighton gimcrack shops, and the fruit shops, and the market.
1891. W. C. Russell, An Ocean Tragedy, p. 30. Soberly clothed with nothing more gimcrack in the way of finery upon him than a row of waistcoat-buttons.
1892. Tit Bits, 19 Mar., p. 425 c. 2. A large cabinet or wardrobe, beautifully carved, and very substantial, no gimcrack work.
Gimcrackery, subs. (colloquial).—The
world of gimcrack
(q.v.).
1884. A. Forbes, in Eng. Illustr. Mag., Jan., p. 230. The inner life of the Empire was a strange mixture of rottenness and gimcrackery.
Gimlet-eye, subs. (common).—A
squint-eye; a piercer (q.v.). Fr.:
des yeux en trou de pine.
Gimlet-eyed, adj. (common).—Squinting,
or squinny-eyed; cock-eyed.
As in the old rhyme:
'Gimlet eye, sausage nose, Hip
awry, bandy toes.'
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Gimmer, subs. (Scots').—An old
woman. A variant of 'cummer.'
Gin, subs. (Australian).—An
Australian native woman.
1857. Kingsley, Two Years Ago, ch. xiii. An Australian settler's wife bestows on some poor slaving gin a cast-off French bonnet.
1890. Hume Nisbet, Bail Up, p. 30.
2. (Australian).—An old woman. For synonyms, see Geezer.
Gin-and-gospel Gazette, subs.
phr. (journalists').—The Morning
Advertiser: as the organ of the
Licensed Victualling and Church
of England party. Also the Tap-tub
and beer-and-bible
gazette.
Gin-and-Tidy, adv. phr.
(American).—Decked out in
'best bib and tucker.' A pun on
'neat spirits.'
Gin-crawl, subs. (common).—A
tipple (q.v.) on gin.
1892. A. Chevalier, 'The Little Nipper.' I used to do a gin crawl ev ry night, An'very, very often come 'ome tight.
Gingambobs (or Jiggumbobs),
subs. (common).—1. Toys; baubles.
1690. B. E. Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
2. (venery).—The testicles; also thingambobs. For synonyms, see Cods.
Ginger, subs. (common).—1. A
fast, showy horse; a beast that
looks figged (q.v.).
1859. Notes and Queries, 17 Dec. p. 493. A ginger is a showy fast horse.
2. (common).—A red-haired person; carrots (q.v.). [Whence the phrase (venery) 'Black for beauty, ginger for pluck.']
1885. Miss Tennant in Eng. Illustrated Magazine, June, p. 605. The policemen are well known to the boys, and appropriately named by them. There is 'Jumbo,' too stout to run; ginger, the red-haired.
3. (common).—Spirit; dash; go (q.v.). To want ginger = to lack energy and pluck (q.v.).
1888. The World, 13 May. You will remark that your spinal column is requiring a hinge, and that considerable ginger is departing from your resolution