1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 6 p.m., par. I. I began to think either that he was quizzing me—gumming is the proper Transatlantic colloquialism, I think.
1875. 'American English' in Chamb. Journal, 25 Sept., p. 611. To 'gum-tree' is to elude, to cheat [from opossum], and this again is shortened into 'to gum,' as the phrase, 'Now don't you try to gum me.'
Old Mother Gum, subs. phr. (common).—An old woman: in derision.
By gum! intj. (common).—A mild oath. For synonyms, see Oaths.
1860. Haliburton ('Sam Slick'), The Season Ticket, No. ix. By gum, Squire Shegog, we have had the greatest bobbery of a shindy in our carriage you ever knowed in all our born days.
Bless your (or his, her, its, etc.) gums, phr. (common).—A piece of banter: a facetious way of saying 'Bless your soul!'
Gummagy, adj. (common).—Snarling;
of a scolding habit.
Gummed, adj. (billiards).—Said
of a ball close to the cushion.
Gummy, subs. (common).—1. A
toothless person; i.e., with nothing
but gums to show. Generally,
Old Gummy.
2. (thieves').—Medicine. Also Gummy-stuff.—Matsell.
3. (common).—A dullard; a fool. For synonyms, see Buffle and Cabbage-head.
Adj. (common ).—Puffed; swollen; clumsy.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Gummey, clumsy, particularly applied to the ancles of men, or women, and the legs of horses.
To feel Gummy, verb. phr. (University).—To perspire.
Gump, subs. (common).—A dolt.
For synonyms, see Buffle and
Cabbage-head.
1825. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, bk. II., ch. xv. He's . . . sort of a nateral too, I guess; rather a gump, hey?
Gumption, subs. (colloquial).—Cleverness;
understanding;
nous (q.v.). Also Rum Gumption.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Gumption, or rum gumption, s.v., docility, comprehension, capacity.
1787. Grose, Prov. Glossary, s.v. 'Gawm.' Gawm, to understand; I dinna gawm ye, I don't understand you. Hence, possibly, gawmtion, or gumption, understanding.
1834. Atlantic Club-book, I., 33. D'ye think I'm a fellow of no more gumption than that?
1843. Comic Almanack. Poor beasts, 'tis very clear, To any one possess'd of gumption, That if they'd not come over here, They'd have been carried off by home consumption.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, bk. IV., ch. xii. Gumption—it means cleverness.
1883. Daily Telegraph, 25 June, p. 3, c. 2. But poor people—leastways, those that have got any gumption—know better than that.
1890. Notes and Queries, 7 S., x., 303. As familiar as the Greek word nous for what . . . is known . . . as gumption.
Gumptious, adj. (colloquial).—Shrewd;
intelligent; vain.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, bk. IV., ch. xii. Landlord. There's gumption and gumptious! Gumption is knowing, but when I say that sum un is gumptious, I mean—though that's more vulgar like—sum un who does not think small beer of hisself. You take me, sir?
Gum-smasher (or tickler), subs.
(common).—A dentist. For
synonyms, see Snag-catcher.
Gum-suck, verb. (American).—To flatter; to humbug; to dupe For synonyms, see Gammon.
