gush n.2
an objectionably effusive or sentimental display of feeling, esp. as spoken.
Rebel Yell and The Yankee Hurrah (1985) 112: I must indulge in a trifle of ‘gush’ over the natural beauty of this place. | ||
‘’Arry on Politics’ in Punch 11 May 205/2: No treacle-tub gammon for us, mate, nor no cosmypolitan gush. | ||
Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Dec. 13/1: Referring to the death [...] of Mr James Punch, the writer certainly treats us to an amount of gush, which would be ludicrous were is not almost indecent. | ||
Bristol Magpie 27 July 3/1: What need to wait the Conference ‘gush’. | ||
Baled Hay 102: The namby-pamby style of Indian editorial and molasses-candy gush. | ||
Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Oct. 12/4: Want of space prevents us from dealing with the congenial subject of refreshments, and a lot of select gush about the ladies’ dresses and the music is omitted for the same reason. | ||
Truth (Sydney) 6 Jan. 5/3: None of the New Year’s ‘honors’ were showered upon the residents of this colony. That will materially affect the flow of loyal gush [...] in fashionable quarters . | ||
Round London 151: There was the usual gush in the society papers about the devotion of the intending bridegroom. | ||
Amblers 72: My sister-in-law wishes to know if what you have written is true criticism, or [...] gush? | ||
Sun. Times (Perth) 8 Jan. 1/1: The sickly gush in the dailies about the tinpot Councils makes one tired. | ||
Truth (Sydney) 20 Apr. 10/3: It’s the feemales as they nobbles, / Does this holy josser push — / Workin'. on', their soft emotions / With their dam sky-scrapin’ gush. | ||
Daily Trib. (Bismarck, ND) 21 Apr. 11/1: [He] peddles his pet line of slushy gush. | ||
Dark Laughter 179: Sentimentality! Gush! | ||
Murphy (1963) 102: As Miss Carridge in a moment of gush had had the folly to reveal. | ||
Scene (1996) 70: He didn’t want to [...] listen to that gush between the old man and Kathrina, his bride of two months. | ||
Fixx 211: A couple of minutes of romantic gush. | ||
Rivethead (1992) 188: Instead of deliverin’ some hopeless gush, she snuck around my workbench and began singing. |
In derivatives
sentimental, emotional.
Punch 12 Apr. 169/1: There is a gushy vivacity in the manner of telling the pleasant fact, that ‘in the afternoon the Grand Duchess visited her daughter the Marchioness of Douglas’ . | ||
Shorty McCabe 142: Sister had that gushy look in her eyes that her kind wears after they’ve been to see Maude Adams. | ||
Torchy 57: The one with the Maxine Elliott eyes and the gushy voice? | ||
Gospel Blues 117: Somewhere between his gushy reverence for old-line directors and his lackadaisical attitude toward their music. |
In phrases
the effusive journalese found in penny newspapers, the late 19C tabloids.
Illus. London News 16 Dec. in Ware (1909) 194/2: This, published in an English paper, would probably be described as penny gush. | in