subs. (common).—1. Rawness; simplicity. Generally, ‘Do you see any GREEN in my eye?’ = Do you take me for a fool? See adj. sense.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, 247. I’m not a tailor, but I understands about clothes, and I believe that no person ever saw anything GREEN in my eye.
1892. Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday, 19 March, p. 95, c. 2. Ally Sloper the ’cute, Ally Sloper the sly, Ally Sloper, the cove with no GREEN in his eye.
1892. Illustrated Bits, 22 Oct., p. 14, c. 2. Sindin’ both shlips is it? How wud Oi have a check on ye? Do ye see inny GREEN in me oi?
Adj. (colloquial).—Simple; inexperienced; gullible; UNSALTED (q.v.).
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet, i. 3. Pol. Affection! pooh! you speak like a GREEN girl.
1605. CHAPMAN, All Fools, Act iv., p. 67 (Plays, 1874).
| Shall I then say you want experience? | |
| Y’are GREEN, y’are credulous; easy to be blinded. |
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). GREEN (a) … so likewise a young or unexperienced person in arts, sciences, etc., is sometimes said to be GREEN, raw, etc.
1821. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry. Tom. No; you’re GREEN! Jerry. GREEN! Log. Ah! not fly! Tom. Yes, not awake!
1837. DICKENS, Oliver Twist, ch. viii. ‘My eyes, how GREEN!’ exclaimed the young gentleman. ‘Why a beak’s a madgst’rate.’
1841. Punch, July 17, p. 6. What a GREEN chap you are, after all. A public man’s consistency! It’s only a popular delusion.
1850. F. E. SMEDLEY, Frank Fairlegh, p. 19. Eh! why! what’s the matter with you? have I done anything particularly GREEN, as you call it?
1856. T. HUGHES, Tom Brown’s School-days, pt. I., ch. ii. You try to make us think … that you are, even as we, of the working classes. But bless your hearts, we ain’t so GREEN.
1869. The Literary World, 31 Dec., p. 129, c. 2. His fellow-passengers laughed at him for being so GREEN.
1879. Punch’s Almanack, p. 7, ‘Seasonable Slang.’
| For Spring.—You be blowed! | |
| For Summer.—I ’ll warm yer! | |
| For Autumn.—Not so blooming GREEN! | |
| For Winter.—An ice little game all round! |
1887. Lippincott’s Magazine, July, p. 104. Within the last day or so a young fellow has arrived who is in danger of being eaten by the cows, so GREEN is he.
1890. Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, 7 Nov. Being quite GREEN at the time, I rather lost my head over my good fortune.
Verb (colloquial).—To hoax; to swindle. At Eton TO GREEN UP. For synonyms, see GAMMON.
1888. C. T. BUCKLAND, Eton: 1836 to 1841 [Longman’s Magazine, June, 153]. I was again catechised on many points personal to myself, and some mild attempts were made to ‘GREEN me,’ as boys call it.
1889. Answers, 2 March, p. 218, c. 1. Whereupon the old humbug burst into a loud guffaw, as though he were rejoicing at having GREENED the toff.
1892. T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Voces Populi (Second Series). ‘Bank Holiday,’ 147. THE DAMSEL (giggling). You go on—you don’t GREEN me that w’y.
