1827. Egan, Anecdotes of the Turf, etc., p. 44. Then your blowen will wax gallows haughty! [Also quoted in notes to Don Juan.] [[106]]
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 293. (ed. 1854). Ah, Dame Lobkin, if so be as our little Paul vas a vith you, it would be a gallows comfort to you in your latter hend!
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, III., 90. I’ll be smothered if I’m going to look down that gallows long chimney.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. xli. And the pleece come in, and got gallus well kicked about the head.
1869. Greenwood, Seven Curses of London, p. 244. Put it on your face so gallus thick that the devil himself won’t see through it.
Gallows-bird (also Newgate-bird), subs. (common).—1. A son of the rope; an habitual criminal; a vagabond or scoundrel, old or young; a crack-rope or wag-halter (Cotgrave); a gallows-clapper (Florio). Fr., gibier de Cayenne, or de potence.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. One that deserves hanging.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xi. That very gallows-bird were enough to corrupt a whole ante-chamber of pages.
2. (common).—A corpse on, or from, the gallows.
1861. Reade, Cloister and Hearth, ch. xxviii. I ne’er minced (dissected) ape nor gallows-bird.