1856-7. Thackeray, King of Brentford's Test., st. 7. At college, though not fast, Yet his little-go and great-go, He creditably pass'd.
1871. Morning Advertiser, 28 Apr. Yes, Mr. Lowe has been plucked for his great go.
1883. Echo, 3 May, p. 2, c. 4. But few, indeed, are the men who have been in for greats during the last twenty years, and who have not blessed Mr. Kitchin for his edition of the Novum Organum.
Great Gun, subs. phr. (common).—1.
A person of distinction; a
thing of importance.
English Synonyms.—Big bug; big dog of the tanyard; big dog with the brass collar; big gun; big head; big one; big (or great) pot; big wig; biggest toad in the puddle; cock of the walk; don; large potato; nob; rumbusticator; stunner; swell; swell-head; topper; top-sawyer.
French Synonyms.—Un gros bonnet (familiar = big wig); un fiérot (a stuck-up); un herr (from the German); Monsieur Raidillon or Monsieur Pointu (= Mr. Stuck-up).
1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle's Log, ch. ii. A Spanish Ecclesiastic, the Canon of . Plenty of great guns, at any rate—a regular park of artillery.
1843. Haliburton, Sam Slick in England, ch. xv. The great guns and big bugs have to take in each other's ladies.
Ibid., p. 24. Pick out the big bugs and see what sort of stuff they're made of.
1853. Wh. Melville, Digby Grand, ch. x. The great guns of the party, the rector of the parish, the member for the county.
2. (pedlers').—A peculiar practice; a trick of particular usefulness and importance; a favourite wheeze (q.v.).
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 256. The street-seller's great gun, as he called it, was to make up packets, as closely resembling as he could accomplish it those which were displayed in the windows of any of the shops.
To Blow Great Guns, verb. phr. (nautical).—To blow a gale; also to blow great guns and small arms.
1839. Harrison Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], 23. 'Curse me, if I don't think all the world means to cross the Thames this fine night!' observed Ben. 'One'd think it rained fares as well as blowed great guns.
1854. H. Miller, Sch. and Schm. (1858), 14. It soon began to blow great guns.
1865. H. Kingsley, Hillyars and Burton, ch. lxxvii. It was blowing pretty high guns, sou' eastern by east, off shore and when we came to the harbour's mouth there was Tom Wyatt with his pilot just aboard.
1869. Arthur Sketchley, Mrs. Brown on Things in General. I never did see such weather, a-blowin great guns as the sayin' is.
1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 340. It blew great guns from the seaward.
Great-house. See Big-house.
Great-Joseph, subs. (old).—An
overcoat.
Great Scott! intj. (American).—An
exclamation of surprise; an
apology for an oath. [Possibly
a memory of the name of Gen.
Winfield Scott, a presidential
candidate whose dignity and style
were such as to win him the
nickname "Fuss-and-Feathers."]
Also Great Cæsar.
1888. New York Mercury. Great Scott! you don't say so.
1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody of Nowhere, p. 98. Bob, what's the matter with you? Great Scott! the mine hain't give out.
