1870. Evening Standard, 11 Feb. 'Police Report.' Police detective said that he believed the two prisoners were good men. In reply to the magistrate he explained that he meant they were old thieves.
Good Girl (or Good One), adj.
phr. (old).—A wanton.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Gaultière—A whore, punke, drab, queane, gill, flirt, strumpet, cockatrice, mad wench, common hackney, good one.
Goodman, subs. (old).—1. A
gaoler; a dubsman (q.v.).
1721-2. Woodrow, History, ii., 636. The goodman of the Tolbooth came to him in his chamber, and told him he might save his life, if he would sign the petition.
2. (colloquial).—The devil. For synonyms, see Skipper.
Goodman-turd, subs. (old).—A
contemptible fellow; a bad-egg
(q.v.).
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Dometa, an old worde for a shitten fellow, or goodman-turde.
Good Night! intj. phr, (general).—A
retort to an incredible
statement or a delightful piece of
news. See Carry me out!
Good-people, subs. (old colloquial).—The
fairies.
1828. G. Griffin, Collegians, ch. v. An nothin' shows itself now by night, neither spirits nor good people.
1848. Forster, Oliver Goldsmith, bk. I., ch. 1, p. 8 (5th ed.). A small old parsonage house (supposed afterwards to be haunted by the fairies, or good people of the district).
1891. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 168. 'Did ever ye hear tell of the story of the Man and the Good People?'—by which he meant the fairies.
Good (or Good Old) Sort, subs.
phr. (popular).—A man of social
and other parts.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger's Sweetheart, p. 149. Had we not better make a clean breast of it, and trust to his generosity; he seems a good sort?
Good Thing, subs. phr. (colloquial).—Something
worth having or
backing; a bon mot; good goods
(q.v.). In racing a presumed
cert (q.v.).
1844. Puck, p. 63. Here's to the good thing whose neatness we prize.
1884. Saturday Review, 2 Aug., p. 147, c. 2. The Goodwood Stakes was considered a good thing for Florence, who has proved herself to be an extraordinary mare.
1888. Sporting Life, 10 Dec. In a field of four, Livingstone, who was voted a good thing, was served up a warm favourite.
1891. Daily Telegraph, 21 Mar. It had been generally anticipated that this was a good thing for Oxford.
1892. Ally Sloper, 19 Mar., p. 90, c. 3. That them as trades in rags and bones Makes more than them as writes good things.
Good Time, subs. phr. (old).—A
carouse; a friendly gathering; an
enjoyable bout at anything.
To have a good time, verb. phr. (old).—To be fortunate or lucky; to enjoy oneself; to make merry. See Cocum.
1596. Jonson, Every Man in His Humour, i., 2. As not ten housewives pewter, again a good time, shews more bright to the world than he! [= some festival, 'when housewives are careful to set out their furniture to the best advantage.'—Note by Whalley, given in Cunningham's Gifford's Jonson (1870)].
1863. A. Trollope, Rachel Ray, ii., 6., 109. Eating cake and drinking currant wine, but not having, on the whole, what our American friends call a good time of it.
1864. Yates, Broken to Harness, ch. xxxviii. And what have you been doing? Had a good time?
1883. Bret Harte, In the Carquinez Woods, ch. ix. But we must keep it dark until after I marry Nellie, don't you see. Then we'll have a good time all round, and I'll stand the drinks.
