Green’s Dictionary of Slang

gill-flirt n.

also gil-flirt, gill-flurt, gillian-flurt, jill-flirt
[SE gill, a lass, a wench + flirt]

1. a proud, vain woman.

[UK]G. Harvey Pierce’s Supererogation 145: Although she [i.e Long Meg of Westminster] were a lustie bounsing rampe [...] yet she was not such a roinish rannell, or such a dissolute gillian-flurtes.
[UK]J. Taylor Crabtree Lectures 72: Goe, you are a sawcy Gossip, and a Gill-flurt. I know what I have to do with my owne Husband. I will not now come to learn of you.
The Scots treacherous designes discovered 3: [S]ince the Prelates brought in Idolatrous Lawne [...] it is growne so common, that every Gill-flirt must have a Gorget on’t.
A List of the parliament of women n.p.: For the East-Countrey 6 Mrs. Trench-more. Mrs. Talk-still. Mrs. Politick. Mrs. Gill-flirt. Mrs. Go-Clack. Lady Frenchifie.
E. Settle The world in the moon 11: A parcel of mad wild Gilflirts, that like nothing but Boys and Beaus, and Powder and Paint, and Fool and Feather.
[UK]B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Gillflurt, a proud Minks.
[UK]New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
[UK]Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
[UK]Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: gillflurt, a proud minks, a vain capricious woman.
[UK]Lex. Balatronicum.
[UK]Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
[US]Matsell Vocabulum 37: gilflirt A proud, capricious woman.

2. (also jilt-flirt) a flirt, a tease; a prostitute (cf. flirt-gill under flirt n.).

[UK]R. Cotgrave Dict. of Fr. and Eng. Tongues n.p.: Gaultiere a whore, punke, drab, queane, gill flirt.
[UK]W. Hawkins Apollo shrouing 35: Goe Gill flurt, goe set vp your Pedlars shop in Venus Court. There shall you haue those that will dance to your musicke.
[UK]J. Taylor Crabtree lectures 72: [G]oe, you are a sawcy Gossip, and a Gill-flurt, I know what I have to doe with mine owne Husband, I will not now come to learne of you:.
J. Phillips A satyr against hypocrites 2: Good Mistris Gill Flurt; / Gill Flurt, enrag'd cries t’other, / Why ye dirt- tie piece of Impudence, ye ill-bred Thief.
[UK]Mercurius Fumigosus 40 28 Feb.–7 Mar. 320: Three new Exchange Lasses [...] to be dress’d up decently in homely plaine Apparell of the ancient English Garb, and then committed to the tuition of the Matronship of Bridewell, for the imitation of the rest of the Citty Gill Flirts.
[UK]M. Cavendish Playes 297: A couple of Gill-flirts, to heat me thus.
[UK]J. Phillips Maronides (1678) V 125: Fortunes a Whore, a meer Gillflurt.
[UK]Wycherley Gentleman Dancing-Master III i: ’Tis your dainty Minx, that Jillflirt your Daughter here.
J. Shirley Cupid’s Academy 36: [N]ow I have put you in a condition to live like a man, you must be gadding abroad, spending what I have carefully taken pains for, on every gill-flurt.
[UK]Congreve Love for Love II i: Well, jill-flirt, you are very pert.
[UK]B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Gillflurt [...] a Slut or light Housewife.
[UK]Guardian 26 10 Apr. n.p.: Jill-flirts.
[UK]J. Gay Polly II iv: While a man is grappling with these gill-flirts, pardon the expression, Captain, he runs his reason a-ground.
[UK]Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
[UK]W. Kenrick Falstaff’s Wedding (1766) III xi: Who among gill-flirts of these days has reserv’d, like myself, the same affection for the same man for twenty years together?
Garrick Country Girl II i: What, you would have her as impudent as yourself, as arrant a gilflirt, a gadder, a magpye.
[UK] M.G. Lewis in Sporting Mag. June X 174/1: ‘Behold me, thou jilt-flirt! behold me,’ he cried.
[UK]B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) I 317: Off went the jill-flirt betwen the acts, to see if Arsenia wanted her.
[UK]Lex. Balatronicum.
[Scot](con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel I 117: She is a dutiful girl to her god-father, though I sometimes call her a jill-flirt.
[UK]Carlisle Jrnl 28 Apr. 4/2: The lassie he chuses suld be examined as weel. She suld be nae daft Gill-flirt fit for naething but dressin’, dancin’, cardin’.
[US]Flash (NY) 17 Oct. n.p.: A lady once well known is the lowest parleius [sic] of Philadelphia infamy as jillflirt Jenny.
[UK]Lichfield Mercury 3 June 6/2: Philip and his companion were profuse in their apologies, which were wasted upon the low gill-flirt.
[Aus]N. Lindsay Redheap (1965) 253: [H]e assured himself that he was not going to make a fool of himself over a jill-flirt of Ethel’s type.