also gane, subs. (old).—The mouth. [A.S., ganian = to yawn.] Occasionally = throat, lip. For synonyms, see POTATO-TRAP.

1

  1512–3.  DOUGLAS, Virgil, 250, 29.

          To behald his ouglie ene twane,
His teribill vissage, and his grislie GANE.

2

  1567.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1814), p. 64. GAN, a mouth.

3

  1610.  ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all, p. 38. [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874]. GAN, a mouth. Ibid. A gere peck in thy GAN.

4

  1656.  R. BROME, A Joviall Crew, Act ii.

        This bowse is better than rom-bowse;
  It sets the GAN a giggling.

5

  1671.  R. HEAD, The English Rogue, Pt. I., ch. v., p. 49 (1874). GAN, a Lip.

6

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew. GANNS, the lips.

7

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

8

  1881.  New York Slang Dictionary, s.v.

9