1647-8. Herrick, Hesperides. 'To Corinna To go a Maying.' Many a green gown has been given.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Green gown, s.v. A throwing of young lasses on the grass and kissing them.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., i., 277. Kit gave a green gown to Betty, and lent her his hand to rise.
1719. Smith, Lives of Highwaymen, i, 214. Our gallant being disposed to give his lady a green gown.
1742. C. Johnson, Highwaymen and Pyrates. Passim.
1785 Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Green-head, subs. (old).—A
greenhorn. For synonyms, see
Buffle and Cabbage-head.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Greenhead, s.v., A very raw novice or inexperienced fellow.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Greenhorn (or Green-Head, or
Greenlander), subs. (common).—A
simpleton; a fool; a gull
(q.v.); also a new hand. For
synonyms, see Buffle and Cabbage-head.
To come from
Greenland = to be fresh to
things; raw (q.v.). Greenlander
sometimes = an Irishman.
1753. Adventurer, No. 100. A slouch in my gait, a long lank head of hair and an unfashionable suit of drab-coloured cloth, would have denominated me a greenhorn, or in other words, a country put very green.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xliv. 'Why, wha but a crack-brained greenhorn wad hae let them keep up the siller that ye left at the Gordon-Arms?"
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist. A new pall . . . Where did he come from? Greenland.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. ix. All these he resigned to lock himself into a lone little country house, with a simple widow and a greenhorn of a son.
Greenhouse, subs. (London 'bus-drivers').—An
omnibus.
Green Howards, subs. phr.
(military).—The Nineteenth Foot.
[From its facings and its Colonel's
name (1738-48), and to distinguish
it from the Third Foot, also
commanded by a Col. Howard.]
Also Howard's Garbage.
Green Kingsman, subs. (pugilistic).—A
silk pocket-handkerchief:
any pattern on a green ground.
Green Linnets, subs. phr.
(military).—The 39th Foot.
[From the facings.]
Greenly, adv. (old).—Like a greenhorn;
foolishly.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, Act iv., Sc. 5. King. . . . We have done but greenly, In hugger-mugger to inter him.
Greenmans, subs. (old).—1.
The fields; the country.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark all, p. 38 (H. Club's Rept.) 1874. Greenemans, the fields.
2. in. sing, (builders').—A contractor who speculates with other people's money.
Green-meadow, subs. (venery).—The
female pudendum. For
synonyms, see Monosyllable.
Greenness, subs. (colloquial).—Immaturity
of judgment; inexperience;
gullibility.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Greenness (s) . . . also the rawness, unskilfulness, or imperfection of any person in a trade, art, science, etc.
1838. Jas. Grant, Sketches in London, ch. vi., p. 205. Instances of such perfect simplicity or greenness, as no one could have previously deemed of possible existence.
