1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 19 June, p. 396, c 2. Great Scotch!—no, we mean Scott—well, language worthy of the great Harry prevailed for awhile.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 305. 'Great Scott! what the deuce is Wells up to?' said the Squire.
1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 106. Great Cæsar!
1892. Tit Bits, 19 Mar., p. 416, c. 1. He. Great Cæsar! There you go again! She. James will you please remember that it is your wife to whom you are speaking, sir? He. No other woman could drive me raving, distracted, crazy, asking silly questions about—She. James!
Great Shakes. See Shakes.
Great Smoke, subs. (thieves')—London.
Great Sun, intj. (common).—An
exclamation.
1876. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly. Great Sun! I think I see it now.
Great-unwashed, subs. (colloquial).—The
lower classes; the
rabble. Also the unwashed.
[First used by Burke; popularised
by Scott.]
1892. Sydney Watson, Wops the Waif, ch. iii., p. 4. We begin to understand what is meant by the lowest classes, the great unwashed.
Great Whipper-in, subs. phr.
(common).—Death; old
floorer (q.v.).
Grecian, subs. (old).—1. A
roysterer; a greek (q.v.).
2. (Christ's Hospital).—A senior boy.
3. (popular).—An Irishman.
Grecian Accent, subs. (popular).—A
brogue.
Grecian-bend, subs, (common).—A
stoop in walking. [Affected by
some women c. 1869-80.] Cf.,
Alexandra Limp, Roman
Fall, Italian Wriggle,
Kangaroo Droop.
1821. Etonian, ii., 57. In person he was of the common size, with something of the Grecian bend, contracted doubtless from sedentary habits.
1869. Daily Telegraph, 1 Sept. I do not, however, think the 'stoop' our girls now have arises from tight-lacing. Some affect what is called the Grecian bend.
1870. Orchestra, 25 Mar. 'Grand Comic Concert.' The ladies have their Grecian bend, our typical gentleman explains a correspondent masculine affectation which he dubs 'The Roman Fall—The Roman Fall.'
1871. Morning Advertiser, 4 Dec. A lady of five feet becomes, say, five feet two inches per heels, five feet six inches per hair, five feet again, per Grecian bend.
1876. Chambers' Journal, No. 629. Your own advocacy for the Grecian bend and the Alexandra limp—both positive and practical imitations of physical affliction.
1886. Cornhill Magazine, Dec., p. 618. You ain't nearly fine enough for a waitress or for 'im, neether. He likes a smart young woman with a Grecian bend.
Greed, subs. (thieves).—Money.
For synonyms, see Actual and
Gilt.
1857. Ducange Anglicus, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Greedy-gut (or -guts), subs.
(old).—A voracious eater; a
glutton. [As in the old (schoolboys')
rhyme: 'Guy-hi, Greedy-gut,
Eat all the pudding up.']
For synonyms, see Stodger. Fr.,
un glafâtre.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes, Edace, an eater, a devourer. a greedigut. Ibid. Putti occhi, greedie eies.
1772. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
