1892. R. L. Stevenson and L. Osbourne, The Wrecker, p. 129. It was Fo’c’s’le Jack that piped and drawled his ungrammatical gibberish. [[139]]
Gibble-Gabble, subs. (colloquial).—Nonsense; gibberish (q.v.). [A reduplication of gabble (q.v.).]
1600. Dekker, Shoemaker’s Holiday, in wks. (1873) i., 21. Hee’s some uplandish workeman, hire him good master, That I may learne some gibble gabble, ’twill make us worke the faster.
1659. Torriano, Vocabolario, s.v.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Gibble-gabble (s), silly, foolish, idle talk.
Gib-cat, subs. (old).—A tom-cat. [An abbreviation of Gilbert = O. Fr.: Tibert, the cat in the fable of Reynard the Fox.]
1360. Chaucer, Romaunt of the Rose, 6204 (Thibert le Cas is rendered by gibbe, our cat).
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., Act i., Sc. 2. I am as melancholy as a gib-cat.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, i., 1. Before I endure such another day with him, I’ll be drawn with a good gib-cat through the great pond at home.
1663. Rump Songs. ‘Rump Carbonadoed,’ ii., 71. As if they had less wit and grace than gib-cats.