Green’s Dictionary of Slang

news, reliable information, a tip (in betting), a hint; esp. as straight griffin.

1847		‘Epistle from Joe Muggins’s Dog’ in Era (London) 14 Mar. 3/2-3: A pal of mine [...] said he’d seen a griff from Ralph Smelt [...] plenty of dogs down there on the look-out.
1847		‘Epistle from Joe Muggins’s Dog’ in Era (London) 4 Apr. 4/1: Muster M— has had another griffin from Middleham; they want me for ‘The Liberator’ now, but that’s all Blarney and botheration.
1852		‘Epistle from Joe Muggins’s Dog’ in Era (London) 25 Apr. 5/1: Well, ould Joe [...] haz ad a griffin from General Witelok, who haz been a watchin ther Noble, an he says az ow ther oss doez nothink but kanter.
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Jan. 5/1: Mr. Hilly […] is the centre of half a score of boys, though whether he is imparting instruction or receiving various straight griffins, is impossible to be determined.
1890		‘’Arry on the Sincerest Form of Flattery’ in Punch 20 Sept. 144/2: They ain’t fly to good patter, old pal, they ain’t copped the straight griffin on slang.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 10 June 2/6: Marrickville electors should stick to the ‘Straight Griffin’ and ask the German band to tootle-tootle in the next street.
1900		Marvel XIII:324 Feb. 2: I’ve given Baldwin the griffin!
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 22 Oct. 4/8: If I do have a boy comes into the Bar and gives me the strait grifin about a race he always get his cut wether I win or lose.
1911		E. Dyson ‘At the Opera’ in Benno and Some of the Push 87: ‘Straight griffin,’ he told Miss Gwynne, ‘there ain’t no one can tell yer uncle ’ow t’ spend his stuff.’.
1914		E. Dyson ‘A Conversazione’ in Spats’ Fact’ry (1922) 38: I don’t mind givin’ yeh ther real straight grif erbout bad men.
1921		N&Q 12 Ser. IX 384: Griffen (To Give The). To give a secret warning.
1928		Framlingham Wkly News 8 Dec. 3/7: Thieves’ Dialect [...] To give him the ‘straight griffin’ is to give him the straight tip.
1930		(con. 1914–18) Brophy & Partridge Songs and Sl. of the British Soldier.
1945		J. Henderson Gunner Inglorious (1974) 133: We persuaded one or two to give us ‘some of the griff’.
1955		B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 82: We had an outside man posted to give us the griffin if a cozzer was about.
1956		J. Curtis Look Long Upon a Monkey 40: How’s it going, Mark? Got any griff yet? [...] 187: Soft-pedal it for you, providing you give us the straight griffin on young Ray and that tart.
1965		J.P. Carstairs Concrete Kimono 175: Look, give me the griff.
1968		G. Slatter Pagan Game (1969) 105: Takes me to get the good griff [...] Had me ear to the keyhole this morning.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 63: guts, meaning news or hard information, survived from World War I [...] sometimes good griff (from griffin, a larrikinism for the truth).
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 397: We’ll get the griff when we find him.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 50: We had the house’s address. That was enough. That was the gen. That was the griff.