Continuing with Americanisms from 1848.
Ga. The abbreviation for Georgia.
GAB. Loquacity; prate; idle talk. This is an old word, and still has a place in the provincial glossaries of England.
GABBLEMENT. Gabble. A Southern word.
"This court's got as good ears as any man," said the magistrate, " but they aint for to hear no old woman's gahblement, though it's under oath."— Chron. of Pineville.
GADABOUT. One who walks about without business.—Webster.
GAFF. An artificial spur put upon game-cocks.
GAL-BOY. In New England, a romping girl; called also a
torn-boy. GALLOWSES. Suspenders; braces.
His skills [pantaloons] were supported by no braces or gallowses, and resting on his hips.—Margaret, p. 9.
GAMBREL. A hipped roof to a house, so called from its resemblance to the hind leg of a horse, which by farriers is termed the gambrel.
Here and there was a house in the then new style, three cornered, with gambled roof and dormer windows.—Margaret, p. 33.
GAME LEG. A lame leg. A term not peculiar to America.
GAMMON. Humbug; deceit; lies. Any assertion which is not strictly true, or, professions believed to be insincere; as, 'I believe you're gammoning,' or, 'That's all gammon;' meaning, you are jesting with me, or, that's all a farce. The gentry say death and distress are all gammon, And shut up their hearts to the lab'rer's appeal.—Punch, pi. 54.
GANDER-PULLING. A brutal species of amusement practised in Nova Scotia. We quote Judge Halliburton's account of it from the Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick: "' But describe this gander-pulling.'
"' Well, I'll tell you how it is,' saw I. 'First and foremost, a ring-road is formed, like a small race-course; then two great long posts is fixed into the ground, one on each side of the road, and a rope made fast by the eends to each post, leavin' the middle of the rope to hang loose in a curve. Well, then they take a gander and pick his breast as clean as a baby's, and then grease it most beautiful all the way from the breast to the head, till it becomes as slippery as a soaped eel. Then they tie both his legs together with a strong piece of cord, of the size of a halyard, and hang him by the feet to the middle of the swingin' rope, with his head downward. All the youngsters, all round the country, come to see the sport, mounted a horseback.
"' Well, the owner of the goose goes round with his hat, and gets so much a-piece in it from every one that enters for the " Pullin'," and when all have entered, they bring their horses in a line, one arter another, and at the words "Go a-head !" off they set, as hard as they can split; and as they pass under the goose, make a grab at him, and whoever carries off die head wins.
"' Well, the goose dodges his head and flaps his wings, and swings about so, it aint no easy matter to clutch his neck; and when you do, it's so greassy, it slips right through the fingers like nothin'. Sometimes it takes so long, that the horses are fairly beat out, and can't scarcely raise a gallop; and then a man stands by the post, with a heavy loaded whip, to lash 'em on, so that they mayn't stand under the goose, which aint fair. The whoopin,' and hollerin', and screamin', and bettin', and excitement, beats all; there aint hardly no sport equal to it. It is great fun to all except the poor goosey-gander.'"
GAP. This pure English word is used properly of any breach of continuity, as of the line of a saw's edge, or of the line of a mountain, as projected ou the horizon. Hence it is applied to such openings in a mountain as are made by a river, or even a high road. Thus the Water-Gap; and, in Virginia, Brown's Gap, Rockfiah Gap, &c.
GAT. (Dutch.) A gate or passage. A term applied to several places in the vicinity of New York, as Barnegat, Barnes's gate; Hellegat, now called Hell Gate.