Gauley. See by golly.
Gawf, subs. (costers’).—A red-skinned apple.
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., i., 63. A cheap red-skinned fruit, known to costers as gawfs, is rubbed hard, to look bright and feel soft, and is mixed with apples of a superior description. Gawfs are sweet and sour at once, I was told, and fit for nothing but mixing.
Gawk, subs. (colloquial).—A simpleton, especially an awkward one, whether male or female. For synonyms, see Buffle and Cabbage-head. [Scots Gowk = a cuckoo; a fool; whence, to gowk = to, play the fool. As in the ‘Derision of Wanton Women’ (Bannatyne, MS., 1567), ‘To gar them ga in gucking’ = to make them play the fool.]
1837. H. Martineau, Soc. in America, i., 299. They proved such gawks that they were unable to learn.
1882. McCabe, New York, p. 217. I wasn’t half as awkward as some of the gawks about me.
1887. H. Frederic, Seth’s Brother’s Wife, ch. iv. Girls brought up to be awkward gawks, without a chance in life.
Verb. (colloquial).—To loiter round; to play the goat. [The same verb is used by Jonson [[126]](Magnetic Lady, iii., 4, 1632) in the sense of amazed, or bamboozled, i.e., absolutely befooled: Nay, look how the man stands, as he were gowked!]
1888. F. R. Stockton, Rudder Grange, ch. xvi. That afternoon we gawked around, a-lookin’ at all the outside shows, for Jone said he’d have to be pretty careful of his money now.
Gawkiness, subs. (colloquial).—Awkwardness; silliness; greenness (q.v.).