1857. Punch, 31 Jan. But the lark’s when a goney up with us they shut, As ain’t up to our lurks, our flash patter, and smut.
1860. Haliburton, Sam Slick, ‘The Season Ticket,’ No. X. ‘It’s only grief, Nabby dear, my heart is broke.’ ‘Is that all, you goney?’ says she, ‘it’s lucky your precious neck ain’t broke.’
a. 1871. The Dartmouth, vol. iv. One day I heard a Senior call a fellow a gonus. ‘Gonus,’ echoed I, ‘what does that mean?’ ‘Oh,’ said he, ‘you’re a Freshman, and don’t understand. A stupid fellow, a dolt, a boot-jack, an ignoramus, is here called a gonus. All Freshmen,’ he continued gravely, ‘are gonuses.’
2. (colloquial).—A person past recovery, utterly ruined, or done for in any way.
1876. S. L. Clemens (Mark Twain), Tom Sawyer, p. 99. ‘Yes, but she ain’t dead; and, what’s more, she’s getting better too.’ ‘All right, you wait and see. She’s a goner, just as dead sure as Muff Potter’s a goner.’
1888. Cincinnati Enquirer. Fortunately, she did not see me, or else I should have been a goner.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 261. ‘Make a noise or follow me, and you’re a goner,’ said Smirk.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 212. A few more of her meddlings and she’s a goner, that’s what she is.
Gong (or Gong-house), subs. (old).—A privy. For synonyms, see Mrs. Jones.
1383. Chaucer, Canterbury Tales. ‘The Parsons Tale’ [Riverside Ed. (1880)], ii., 241. Thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to a commune gong, whereas men purgen hire ordure.