Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a fool; thus griffinish adj., foolish.

1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 91: Griffin — a grinning booby, who hath lost a tooth or two at top, and the same at bottom.
1829		D. Jerrold Black-Ey’d Susan II ii: Then your uncle – (Enter doggrass) – The very griffin I was talking of.
1837		T. Hood ‘Ode to Rae Wilson’ Works (1862) IV 232: I feel None of that griffinish excess of zeal, Some travellers would blaze with here in France.
1846		Bell’s Life in Sydney 4 July 3/2: A little griffin. Redman Fannington appeared to show cause why he should not pay for the maintenance of his illegitimate responsibility.
1851		R.S. Surtees Young Tom Hall (1926) 54: D’ye think that old griffin of a governor of his would have forked out the tin?
1877		J. Greenwood Dick Temple III 246: At any time the old griffin might be popping down the stairs.

2. a menacing woman, a ‘gorgon’.

1824		R.B. Peake Americans Abroad I ii: It is always locked up, by that she griffin with a bunch of keys.
1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 30 Mar. 104/2: [T]he old griffin of an aunt [...] was a formidable piece of female machinery to encounter.
1849		Sam Sly 17 Feb. 3/3: It is not true that Miss Ann Gl——r, the she griffin, of Duke-street, Adelphi, lately had a certain utensil presented to her.