Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 [of 7] : $b A dictionary, historical and comparative, of the heterodox speech of all classes of society for more than three hundred years. With synonyms in English, French, German, Italian, etc.Henley, William Ernest
History
Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 [of 7] : $b A dictionary, historical and comparative, of the heterodox speech of all classes of society for more than three hundred years. With synonyms in English, French, German, Italian, etc.
Henley, William Ernest
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries; Slang -- Dictionaries
1892. Illustrated Bits, 22 Oct., p. 14, c. 2. Sindin’ both shlips
is it? How wud Oi have a check on ye? Do ye see inny green in me
oi?
Adj. (colloquial).—Simple; inexperienced; gullible; unsalted (q.v.).
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, Act i., Sc. 3. Pol. Affection! pooh! you
speak like a green girl.
1605. Chapman, All Fools, Act iv., p. 67 (Plays, 1874). Shall I
then say you want experience? Y’are green, y’are credulous; easy to
be blinded.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Green (a) ... so likewise a
young or unexperienced person in arts, sciences, etc., is sometimes
said to be green, raw, etc.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry. Tom. No; you’re green! Jerry.
Green! Log. Ah! not fly! Tom. Yes, not awake!
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. viii. ‘My eyes, how green!’
exclaimed the young gentleman. ‘Why a beak’s a madgst’rate.’
1841. Punch, July 17, p. 6. What a green chap you are, after all. A
public man’s consistency! It’s only a popular delusion.
1850. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, p. 19. Eh! why! what’s the matter
with you? have I done anything particularly green, as you call it?
1856. T. Hughes, Tom Brown’s School Days, pt. I., ch. ii. You try
to make us think ... that you are, even as we, of the working
classes. But bless your hearts, we ain’t so green.
1869. Literary World, 31 Dec., p. 129, c. 2. His fellow-passengers
laughed at him for being so green.
1879. Punch’s Almanack, p. 7. Seasonable Slang. For Spring.—You be
blowed! For Summer.—I’ll warm yer! For Autumn.—Not so blooming
green! For Winter.—An ice little game all round.
1887. Lippincott, July, p. 104. Within the last day or so a young
fellow has arrived who is in danger of being eaten by the cows, so
green is he.
1890. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 7 Nov. Being quite green at the time, I
rather lost my head over my good fortune.
Verb (colloquial).—To hoax; to swindle. At Eton to green up. For
synonyms, see Gammon.
1836–41. T. C. Buckland, Eton. I was again catechized on many
points personal to myself, and some mild attempts were made to
green me, as boys call it.
1889. Answers, 2 Mar., p. 218, c. 1. Whereupon the old humbug burst
into a loud guffaw, as though he were rejoicing at having greened
the toff.
1892. Anstey, Voces Populi (Second Series). ‘Bank Holiday,’ 147.
The Damsel (giggling). You go on—you don’t green me that w’y.
Greens, subs. (old).—1. Chlorosis: i.e., the green sickness.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., i., 313. The maiden takes five, too,
that’s vexed with her greens.
2. in. pl. (printers’).—Bad or worn out rollers.
To have, get, or give one’s greens, verb. phr. (venery).—To enjoy,
procure, or confer the sexual favour. Said indifferently of both sexes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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