Goodfellow (or Good Boy, or Good Man), subs. (old).—1. A roysterer; a boon companion. 1570. Ascham, Scholemaster. Sir Roger had been a good fellow in his youth. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Good Fellow, a Pot companion or Friend of the Bottle. 1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. A word of various imports, according to the place where it is spoken; in the city it means a rich man; at Hockley in the Hole, or St. Giles’s, an expert boxer; at a bagnio in Covent Garden, a vigorous fornicator; at an alehouse or tavern, one who loves his pot or bottle: and sometimes, though but rarely, a virtuous man. 1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xvii. Rattling Reginald Lowestoffe of the Temple—I know him; he is a good boy. 2. (old).—A thief. See Thieves. 1608. Middleton, Trick to Catch the Old One, ii., 1. Luc. Welcome, good fellow. Host. He calls me thief at first sight. [Footnote in ‘Mermaid Series’ Ed. Good fellow was then the cant term for a thief.] 1870. Evening Standard, 11 Feb. ‘Police Report.’ Police detective said that he believed the two prisoners were good men. In reply to the magistrate he explained that he meant they were old thieves. Good Girl (or Good One), adj. phr. (old).—A wanton. 1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Gaultière—A whore, punke, drab, queane, gill, flirt, strumpet, cockatrice, mad wench, common hackney, good one. Goodman, subs. (old).—1. A gaoler; a dubsman (q.v.). 1721–2. Woodrow, History, ii., 636. The goodman of the Tolbooth came to him in his chamber, and told him he might save his life, if he would sign the petition. 2. (colloquial).—The devil. For synonyms, see Skipper. Goodman-turd, subs. (old).—A contemptible fellow; a bad-egg (q.v.). 1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Dometa, an old worde for a shitten fellow, or goodman-turde. Good Night! intj. phr. (general).—A retort to an incredible statement or a delightful piece of news. See Carry me out! Good-people, subs. (old colloquial).—The fairies. 1828. G. Griffin, Collegians, ch. v. An nothin’ shows itself now by night, neither spirits nor good people. 1848. Forster, Oliver Goldsmith, bk. I., ch. 1, p. 8 (5th ed.). A small old parsonage house (supposed afterwards to be haunted by the fairies, or good people of the district). 1891. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 168. ‘Did ever ye hear tell of the story of the Man and the Good People?’—by which he meant the fairies. Good (or Good Old) Sort, subs. phr. (popular).—A man of social and other parts. 1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 149. Had we not better make a clean breast of it, and trust to his generosity; he seems a good sort? Good Thing, subs. phr. (colloquial).—Something worth having or backing; a bon mot; good goods (q.v.). In racing a presumed cert (q.v.). 1844. Puck, p. 63. Here’s to the good thing whose neatness we prize.