1882. Macmillan's Mag., 253. So we go on . . . and the works are sent to he Greek Calends.
English Synonyms.—In the reign of Queen Dick; when the devil is blind; when two Sundays come in a week; at Doomsday; at Tib's Eve; one of these odd-come-shortlys; when my goose pisses; when the ducks have eaten up the dirt; when pigs fly; in a month of Sundays; once in a blue moon.
French Synonyms.—Mardi s'il fait chaud (obsolete); Dimanche après la grande messe (popular); quand les poules pisseront; semaine des quatre jeudis (popular: when four Thursdays come in a week).
Green, subs. (common).—1.
Rawness; simplicity. Generally,
'Do you see any green in my
eye'? = Do you take me for a
fool? See adj. sense.
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, 247. I'm not a tailor, but I understands about clothes, and I believe that no person ever saw anything green in my eye.
1892. Ally Sloper, 19 Mar., p. 95, c. 2. Ally Sloper the 'cute, Ally Sloper the sly, Ally Sloper, the cove with no green in his eye.
1892. Illustrated Bits, 22 Oct., p. 14, c. 2. Sindin' both shlips is it? How wud Oi have a check on ye? Do ye see inny green in me oi?
Adj. (colloquial).—Simple; inexperienced; gullible; unsalted (q.v.).
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, Act i., Sc. 3. Pol. Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl.
1605. Chapman, All Fools, Act iv., p. 67 (Plays, 1874). Shall I then say you want experience? Y'are green, y'are credulous; easy to be blinded.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Green (a) . . . so likewise a young or unexperienced person in arts, sciences, etc., is sometimes said to be green, raw, etc.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry. Tom. No; you're green! Jerry. Green! Log. Ah! not fly! Tom. Yes, not awake!
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. viii. 'My eyes, how green!' exclaimed the young gentleman. 'Why a beak's a madgst'rate.'
1841. Punch, July 17, p. 6. What a green chap you are, after all. A public man's consistency! It's only a popular delusion.
1850. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, p. 19. Eh! why! what's the matter with you? have I done anything particularly green, as you call it?
1856. T. Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days, pt. I., ch. ii. You try to make us think . . . that you are, even as we, of the working classes. But bless your hearts, we ain't so green.
1869. Literary World, 31 Dec., p. 129, c. 2. His fellow-passengers laughed at him for being so green.
1879. Punch's Almanack, p. 7. Seasonable Slang. For Spring.—You be blowed! For Summer.—I'll warm yer! For Autumn.—Not so blooming green! For Winter—An ice little game all round.
1887. Lippincott, July, p. 104. Within the last day or so a young fellow has arrived who is in danger of being eaten by the cows, so green is he.
1890. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 7 Nov. Being quite green at the time, I rather lost my head over my good fortune.
Verb (colloquial).—To hoax; to swindle. At Eton to green up. For synonyms, see Gammon.
1836-41. T. C. Buckland, Eton. I was again catechized on many points personal to myself, and some mild attempts were made to green me, as boys call it.
1889. Answers, 2 Mar., p. 218, c. 1. Whereupon the old humbug burst into a loud guffaw, as though he were rejoicing at having greened the toff.
1892. Anstey, Voces Populi (Second Se ies). 'Bank Holiday,' 147. The Damsel (giggling). You go on—you don't green me that w'y.
