subs. (tramps’).—1. Cant.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. Do you stoll the GAMMY? Do you understand cant?
2. (common).—A nickname for a lameter; a HOPPING JESUS (q.v.).
3. (Australian).—A fool.
1892. HUME NISBET, The Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 191. Well, of all the GAMMIES you are the gammiest, Slowboy, to go and string yourself to a woman, when you might have had the pick of Melbourne.
Adj. (tramps’).—1. Bad; impossible. Applied to householders of whom it is known that nothing can be got. See BEGGARS’ MARKS. GAMMY-VIAL = a town in which the police will not allow unlicensed hawking. (VIAL = Fr., Ville.)
1839. BRANDON, Poverty, Mendicity, and Crime, Glossary, s.v.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, i., 466. No villages that are in any way GAMMY are ever mentioned in these papers. Ibid., i., 404. These are left by one of the school at the houses of the gentry, a mark being placed on the door post of such as are bone or GAMMY, in order to inform the rest of ‘the school’ where to call, and what houses to avoid.
2. Forged; false; spurious: as a GAMMY-MONEKER = a forged signature; GAMMY-LOUR = counterfeit money, etc.
1839. W. A. MILES, Poverty, Mendicity, and Crime, s.v.
1852. SNOWDEN, Magistrates Assistant (3rd ed.), p. 445. Spurious medicine, GAMMY stuff, bad coin, GAMMY LOWER, p. 446.
1889. C. T. CLARKSON and J. HALL RICHARDSON, Police! p. 321. Bad money (coin) … GAMMY LOWER, snide, smash.
3. (theatrical).—Old; ugly.
4. (common).—Same as GAME, sense 3: e.g., a GAMMY arm = an arm in dock. GAMMY-eyed = blind; sore-eyed; or afflicted with ecchymosis in the region of the eyes. GAMMY-leg = a lame leg. Also (subs.) a term of derision for the halt and the maimed.
