2. (cards).—To cheat by concealing certain cards at the back of the neck. Garrotter, subs. (common).—A practitioner of garrotting (under verb, sense 1.) 1869. Greenwood, Seven Curses of London, p. 201. The delectable epistle was written by garrotter Bill to his brother. Garrotting. 1. See Garrotte (verb, sense 1). 2. (gamblers’).—Hiding a part of one’s hand at the back of the neck for purposes of cheating. Garter, subs. (nautical).—1. in. pl. the irons, or bilboes. For synonyms, see Darbies. To get over the Garter, verb. phr. (venery).—To take liberties with a woman. To Fly or Prick the Garter. See Prick the Garter. Garvies, subs. (Scots’).—1. Sprats. Sometimes Garvie-Herring. 1845. P. Alloa, Statis. Acc., viii., 597. They are often very successful in taking the smaller fish, such as herrings, garvies or sprats, sparlings or smelts. 2. (military).—The Ninety-fourth Foot. [From the small stature of the earlier recruits.] 1869. Notes and Queries, 4 S. iii., p. 349. Garvie. The soubriquet points to the low average height of the recruits in the Fifeshire regiments, which, however, may not now be the case, since recruiting has become less local. Gas, subs. (common).—Empty talk; bounce; bombast. 1847. Porter, Quarter Race, etc., p. 120. The boys said that was all gas to scare them off. 1867. Chambers’ Jour., 29 June. I’ve piped off Sabbath gas in my time I don’t deny, but under the woods we mostly tell the truth. 1868. Chambers’ Jour., 15 Feb., p. 110. I don’t, an’ never could splice ends with them as blow off gas about gold-digging—saying it’s plunder easy come an’ easy gone, seeking the root of evil, an’ other granny talk which hasn’t no meaning. a. 1871. Emerson (quoted in De Vere’s Amer.). ’Tis odd that our people should have not water on the brain, but a little gas there. 1889. Globe, 31 Oct., p. 4, c. 4. It went on to state that the petitioner’s talk about a divorce was all gas, and made a further appointment. Verb. (common).—1. To talk idly; to brag; to bounce; to talk for talking’s sake. Fr., faire son cheval de corbillard (in American ‘to be on the tall grass.’) See Long Bow. 1872. Lond. Figaro, 14 Dec. There is no good to be got out of gassing about rallying around standards, uniting as one man to resist, etc. 1875. ‘American English’ in Chambers’ Jour., 25 Sept., p. 610. To gas is to talk only for the purpose of prolonging a debate. 1885. Society, 7 Feb., p. 7. Agitators and place-seekers may gas as much as they please, but they cannot make black appear white. 2. (common).—To impose on by ‘gas’; to pill (q.v.); to splash (q.v.). For synonyms, see Gammon. To take the gas out of one, verb. phr. (common).—To take the conceit out of; to take down a peg. To turn on the gas, verb. phr. (common).—To begin bouncing; also to Gas (q.v.).