Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 3.pdf/233

 1888. Sporting Life, 15 Dec. Preferred to be easily knocked out to taking his gruel like a man.

1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 23 Jan. Both men were badly punished, but George had, of course, the lion's share of the gruel.

1891. Licensed Vict. Mirror, 30 Jan., p. 7, c. 3. All the advantage rested with the same side for some little time, Paddock getting such a gruelling that his head swelled out like a pumpkin.

2. (American thieves').—Coffee.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.

Grueller, subs. (common).—A knock-down blow; a settler; a floorer (q.v.).

Grumble-guts, subs. (popular).—An inveterate croaker. Also Grumble-gizzard.

Grumbles. To be all on the grumbles, verb. phr. (popular).—To be discontented; cross; on the snarly-yow (q.v.).

Grumbletonian, subs. (common).—A pattern of discontent: one ever on the grumble. [Grumbleton (during the reigns of the later Stuarts) = an imaginary centre of discontent; hence, Grumbletonian, a nickname of the County party, distinguished from the Court, as being in opposition.]

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Grumbletonians, malecontents, out of Humour with the Government, for want of a Place, or having lost one.

1705-7. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. I., pt. 1, p. 24 (2nd Ed.). But all the grumbletonian throng Did with such violence rush along.

1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, Act 1. Now, if I pleased, I could be so revenged upon the old grumbletonian.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Grumbletonian, s.v., a discontented person.

1849-61. Macaulay, Hist. of Eng., ch. xix. Who were sometimes nicknamed the grumbletonians, and sometimes honoured with the appellation of the County party.

Grummet, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see Monosyllable.

Grumpy (or Grumpish), adj. (colloquial).—Surly; cross; angry.

1840. Mrs. Trollope, Michael Armstrong, ch. vi. If you blubber or look grumpish.

1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 3 a.m., par. 13. Calling you a 'cross, grumpy, old thing,' when you mildly suggest that it is very near bed-time.

1868. Miss Braddon, Trail of the Serpent, bk. IV., ch. i. A grumpy old deaf keeper, and a boy, his assistant.

1883. Punch, 19 May, p. 230, c. 2. They all looked grumpy and down in the mouth.

Grundy, subs. (old).—A short fat man; a forty-guts (q.v.).—See Mrs. Grundy.

1563. Fox, Acts and Monuments (London, 1844), iii., 1104. For that he being a short grundy, and of little stature, did ride commonly with a great broad hat.

Grunter, subs. (old).—1. A pig; a grunting-cheat (q.v.). In quot. 1652 = pork. For synonyms, see Sow's Baby.

1656. Brome, Jovial Crew. Here's grunter and bleater, with tib-of-the-buttry.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Grunter, s.v. A sucking pig.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue. Grunter, s.v.

1841. Comic Almanack, p. 266. And the squeaking grunter is loose on the green.

1847-50. Tennyson, Princess, v. 26. A draggled mawkin, That tends her bristled grunters in the sludge.