1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller, in wks., v., 68. That all cried out upon him mightily in their gibrige, lyke a companie of beggers.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Gergare, to speak fustian, pedlers french, or rogues language, or gibbrish.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie. Jargon, gibridge fustian language, pedler’s French, a barbarus jangling.
1638. H. Shirley, Martyr’d Souldier, Act iii., Sc. 4. Feele my pulse once again and tell me, Doctor, Tell me in tearmes that I may understand,—I doe not love your gibberish,—tell me honestly Where the Cause lies, and give a Remedy.
1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Gibberish (s.) an unintelligible jargon, or confused way of speaking, used by the gipsies, beggars, etc., to disguise their wicked designs; also any discourse where words abound more than sense.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Random, ch. xxx. He repeated some gibberish which by the sound seemed to be Irish.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. viii. Since that d——d clerk of mine has taken his gibberish elsewhere.
1850. D. Jerrold, The Catspaw, Act i. Odds and ends … writ down in such a kind of gibberish that I can’t make out one of ’em.
1858. G. Eliot, Mr. Gilfit’s Love Story, ch. iv. It’ll learn to speak summat better nor gibberish, an’ be brought up i’ the true religion.