adj. (colloquial).—1. Ruined; totally undone. Also, adv., an expression of completeness, e.g., GONE BEAVER, CORBIE, COON, GANDER, or GOOSE = a man or an event past praying for: Cf., GO UP and GO DOWN.
1604. SHAKESPEARE, Winter’s Tale, iv. 3. He must know ’tis none of your daughter nor my sister; we are GONE else.
1843–4. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), Sam Slick in England, ch. xviii. If a bear comes after you, Sam, you must be up and doin’, or it’s a GONE GOOSE with you.
1848. RUXTON, Life in the Far West, p. 40. From that moment he was GONE BEAVER; he felt queer, he said, all over.
1857. Notes and Queries, 2 S. iii., 519. To call a person a GONE CORBIE, is only to say in other words, it’s all up with him.
1848. A. H. CLOUGH, The Bothie of Tober-na-Vuolich, ix., l. 116. He had been into the schools; plucked almost; all but a GONE-COON.
1863. C. READE, Hard Cash, I., 178. I shall meet her again next week; will you come? Any friend of mine is welcome. Wish me joy, old fellow; I’m a GONE COON.
GONE ON, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Enamoured of; infatuated with; MASHED ON (q.v.); SWEET ON (q.v.). Generally in contempt. Fr., aimer comme ses petits boyaux. For synonyms, see SWEET ON.
1887. J. S. WINTER, That Imp, p. 44. He was a fine fellow, and no mistake. And was GONE ON Lady Lorrimor!
1890. Illustrated Bits, 29 March, p. 10, c. 3. He must have been terribly GONE ON this woman.
1891. N. GOULD, The Double Event, p. 113. ‘Poor chap, he’s very far GONE,’ thought Jack.
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, p. 31. I’ll eat my old boots if she isn’t dead GONE ON.
