subs. (old).—1. A fair.
1754. POULTER, The Discoveries of John Poulter, p. 32. The first thing they do at a GAFF is to look for a room clear of company.
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. The drop coves maced the joskins at the GAFF; the ring-droppers cheated the countryman at the fair.
1821. D. HAGGART, Life, p. 22. We stopped at this place two days, waiting to attend the GAFF.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v. A fair is a GAFF as well as all the transactions enacted there.
2. (common).—A cheap, low music-hall or theatre; frequently PENNY-GAFF, Cf., quot. 1823, sense 1. Also DOOKIE. Fr., un beuglant (= a low music-hall; beugler = to bellow); un bouisbouis (boui = brothel); une guinche (popular). See also quot. 1889.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I., p. 46. They court for a time, going to raffles and GAFFS together, and then the affair is arranged.
1869. GREENWOOD, The Seven Curses of London, p. 68. A GAFF is a place where stage plays, according to the strict interpretation of the term, may not be represented. The actors of a drama may not correspond in colloquy, only in pantomime; but the pieces brought out at the GAFF are seldom of an intricate character, and the not overfastidious auditory are well content with an exhibition of dumb-show and gesture.
1870. Orchestra, 18 Feb. The absolute harm done by these GAFFS does not consist in the subjects represented.
1889. Notes and Queries, 7 S. vii., p. 395. I have often heard the British soldier make use of the word when speaking of the entertainment got up for his benefit in barracks.
3. (prison).—A hoax; an imposture. Cf., Fr., gaffe = joke, deceit.
1877. W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iv. 312. I also saw that Jemmy’s blowing up of me was all ‘GAFF.’ He knew as well as I did the things left the shop all right.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 227. Can you put me up to this other GAFF.
4. (old sharpers’).—A ring worn by the dealer. [From gaffe = a hook.]
5. (American cock-pit).—A steel spur.
6. (anglers’).—A landing spear, barbed in the iron.
Verb. (old).—1. To toss for liquor. See GAFFING.
1823. BADCOCK (‘Jon Bee’), Dictionary of the Turf, etc., s.v.
2. (theatrical).—To play in a GAFF (q.v. sense 2).
TO BLOW THE GAFF, or GAB (q.v.), verb. phr. (common).—To give information; to let out a secret. For synonyms, see PEACH.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. TO BLOW THE GAB (cant), to confess, or impeach a confederate.
1833. MARRYAT, Peter Simple, III. v. One of the French officers, after he was taken prisoner, axed me how we had managed to get the gun up there; but I wasn’t going TO BLOW THE GAFF.
1877. W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ii. 122. The prisoner, burning for revenge, quietly bides his time till the chief warder comes round, then asks to speak to him, and ‘BLOWS THE GAFF.’
1891. Referee, 8 March. Under sacred promise not to BLOW THE GAFF I was put up to the method.
