Green’s Dictionary of Slang

lecherous.

1608		Dekker Honest Whore Pt 2 (1630) II i: I must be beholden to a scald hot-liuered gotish Gallant.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle III ii: You goatish slaves!
1637		R. Brome Eng. Moor II ii: Clap those Goatish Roarers up.
1638		Ford Fancies V i: Lecherously goatish and an Eunuch?
1680		Merry Maid of Islington 5: Did I out of a sound faith in you forget the Goatish Monster you entertained.
1687		C. Sedley Bellamira IV i: I’ll tear his Goatish eyes out.

(Aus.) used of a small hotel, town or other place to indicate the lack of amenities.

[1889		Sydney Morn. Herald 13 Mar. 4/6: That will be a happy time for many a constitution dilapidated by sequences of mutton and infrequent beef, goat and galah at the public-houses, damper and johnny-cake and brownie and other strange combinations, only to be eaten by stimulus of hunger and not to be digested at all].
[1905		Barrier Miner Broken Hill, NSW) 22 July 5/4: Schools Inspector D. E. Fraser left this morning per coach for Bourke and what he terms ‘Beyond-Back-o’-Bourke’ [...] Being tired of ‘goat and galah,’ he hopes, owing to the changed condition of the country since his previous visit, to sample ‘galatine of turkey’ en route].
1905		: One of the boundary riders [...] allowed his beard to grow during his illness, and for weeks afterwards, till the day he rode into the township of Goat-and-Galah.
1914		Albury Banner & Wodonga Express (NSW) 19 June 46/4: I found too much kindness and happiness in Hay, and have far greater knowledge of the ample living and splendid resources of that district, tliare could permit me to paint it as 'goat and galah backblocks’.
1923		Kalgoorlie Miner (WA) 4 July 3/4: The part of Romeo Whybrow, the proprietor of the Goat and Galah Hotel, was taken by Mr. J. Fyvie Dench.
1932		Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 9 Oct. 15/8: At one place, known as Goat and Galah, the boarders went on strike and demanded a change of menu.
1945		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Mar. 12/4: We dropped in at a goat-or-galah pub in a little western N.S.W. town.
1951		J. Devanny Travels in North Queensland 167: Some [...] were of the ‘goat and galah’ variety, the generic name given to pubs that supplied food of redoubtable nature [AND].
2002		www.outbacknsw.org 🌐 The village [of Tilpa] grew at the junction of the Paroo and Bourke roads, a crossing place for stock and eventually the site for a telegraph office and pub, boasting menu items of ‘Goat and Galah.’.

(Aus.) wave skis.

1998		R.G. Barrett Mud Crab Boogie (2013) [ebook] Billy had bought a couple of goat boats, or old-style, wave skis.
2018		Surfing World 🌐 The Short History of Goat Boats [...] a wave ski resembles a corn chip with a seat belt, or the love child of a surfboard and a luggage pod with fins.

(US campus) a derog. term of contempt.

1985

Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 4: goat breath – very derogatory term. Usually used by females in reference to males. I don’t want to go to the movies with John – he’s such a goat breath.

see separate entries.

a peasant, a country-dweller.

2014		M. McBride Swollen Red Sun 149: ‘We need ta get rid of that crazy old goat fucker’.
2016		FP 15 June 🌐 The Chechens or Dagestanis [...] get labeled ‘goat-fuckers’ by several thousand screaming white Muscovites.

(US black) homemade or bootleg liquor.

1964

R. Abrahams Deep Down In The Jungle 266: Goat-hair – Bootleg liquor.

1. the vagina.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 37: Bidault, m. 2. The female pudendum; ‘the goat-milker’.

2. a prostitute.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 479/2: from ca. 1820.

(W.I.) the ability that certain individuals supposedly possess to cause problems or frustrate the efforts of others; thus put goat-mouth on, to cause such problems; goat-mouth bite you? a question asked of one who seems unhappy or worried.

1943		L. Bennett ‘Leff-Out’ in Jam. Humour 19: Every-bady watch out [...] For me have bad goat mout.
1959		A. Salkey Quality of Violence (1978) 9: Why, now that we have a big decision to make, you must think that I of all people going to put a goat mouth on it? Eh? Tell me that!
1976		S. Naipaul Adventures of Gurudeva 41: Mind you own business [...] Don’ put goat-mouth.
2000		R. Antoni Grandmother’s Erotic Folktales 20: He was only putting goatmouth loud on heself by saying that.
2006		R. Antoni Carnival 14: I usually get them wrong, inevitably I wind up putting goatmouth on myself.

see goat-and-galah

(Aus.) a farm worker.

1993

Aus. Word Map 🌐 saddle frigger [...] ‘Also known as “goat rooter”. One who fits the stereotype is excited by farmin', is decked out in RM's, a cowboy hat, tight jeans and workshirt‘.

see goat-fuck n.

(US) a peasant, a rural person, an unsophisticated person.

1969		in Current Sl. IV:3–4 (1970) 18: Goat roper, n. An agricultural student.
1980		L. Pederson ‘Lexical Data from the Gulf States’ AS LV:3 200: Goat roper.
1990		T. Pluto Loose Balls 301: She said, ‘You’re nothing but a goat roper.’ I turned to my local counsel and asked him what the hell a goat roper was. He said, ‘Well, that’s an insult. It means it’s somebody who’s not even good enough to rope a horse’.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 37: Goat ropers, klansmen, sodbusters, nazi motherfuckers.
2015		L. Bernay Long and Faraway Gone [ebook] The carny snapped around—snap!—and gave the goat roper a stare so electric with menace [etc].

see goat-fuck n.

(Irish) the real thing, the ultimate example.

1958

(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 94: When there’s one of them here among you, the real Ally Daly, the real goat’s genolickers.

see billy-goat hill n.

Wales.

c.1709		Taffy’s Progress to London 3: Nine Sprats! why I thought they lived altogether upon toasted cheese in Goatshire?
c.1709		Taffy’s Progress to London 7: He wou’d be Reveng’d on those that thus presum’d to affront Goatlandshire.
1876		J. Bateman Acre-ocracy of England x: Mrs. S. of Goatshire, in Wales, is entered because she owns three thousand and one acres.

sexual intercourse; thus dance the goat’s jig.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Goat’s gigg, making the beast with two backs.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1999		D. Lypchuk ‘A dirty little story’ in eye mag. 8 July 🌐 The two of them dabbed the brush, danced the goat’s jig, dug in the whisker and swept the chimney until, just as he was about to do her a kindness, his sweater fell off and he had to put a new willy-welly on.

(US gay) a long foreskin.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.

see billy-goat hill n.

see act the (giddy) goat v.

1. (also burn someone’s goat, get on someone’s goat, get someone’s nannygoat, goat) to annoy someone; thus goat-getting, deliberate provocation to gain a psychological advantage; goat-getter, a malicious teaser.

1904		‘Number 1500’ Life In Sing Sing 258: Goat. Anger; to exasperate.
1907		C. Fowler letter 16 Jan. in Tomlinson Rocky Mountain Sailor (1998) 201: The process of making a fellow mad, or sore, or doing something that is very annoying to him is called ‘getting his goat’ I don't know exactly where this expression originated, but one story is that there was a bluejacket at Goat Island who had a goat of which he was very fond, and which he kept secluded [...].
1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 45: What do we care, kid? We got Beany’s goat.
1909		Van Loan ‘The Quitter’ in Big League (2004) 33: The scrappiest collection of fence breakers, umpire baiters, and ‘goat getters’ in professional baseball.
1912		D. Lowrie My Life in Prison 189: I knew that would get the Captain’s goat, and it did.
1913–14		Van Loan ‘The Revenge of Kid Morales’ in Taking the Count 276: The Fitzsimmons’ method of overawing an opponent, since known as ‘goat-getting’.
1918		Ohinemuri Gaz. (N.Z.) 22 Nov. 1/4: The one thing that really ‘got their goat’ was having to sleep on terra firma.
1921		N. Putnam West Broadway 102: ‘The ones which get my goat are the second and third generation [immigrants] who still love the old country so that they are willing to do everything for it except go live there’.
1924		‘Digit’ Confessions of a Twentieth Century Hobo 159: The tendency to ‘get the other man’s goat,’ etc., that one often notices in games, professional and otherwise.
1929		E. Dahlberg Bottom Dogs 12: Tisha didn’t get on to it and thought Lorry was trying to get her nannygoat.
1930		E. Glyn Flirt and Flapper 84: Flapper: No girl stands for a boy’s telling her off — Gee, it got my goat!
1937		‘Red Collar Man’ ‘Chokey’ 128: Claude on one occasion so got the jailer’s goat that he was put in a silent cell.
1945		‘Henry Green’ Loving (1978) 193: That dam kid’s attitude was what got my goat.
1949		Gordon & Kanin Adam’s Rib 12: That kind of thing burns my goat.
1950		N. Lindsay Dust or Polish? 4: ‘I think you’re silly, the way you go out of your way to get McIntyre’s goat’.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 31: The old man was always getting on my goat.
1959		C. Himes Crazy Kill 11: Unless he’s just trying to get Johnny’s goat.
1961		X. Herbert Soldiers’ Women (1978) 116: ‘The Yanks got my goat. They always do’.
1966		P. Boyle At Night All Cats Are Grey 167: Silly questions like these get my goat.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 138: Anna Mase was trying to get her goat.
1971		R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 122: It always got my goat how women [...] had to call Joey a male if they wanted to stay in with the crowd.
1977		G.F. Newman A Prisoner’s Tale 73: That’s what gets my goat. They won’t give me no release date, will they.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 163: What got his goat was the song and dance routine women had to go through when they caught him with a colander in his hand.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 5: This cunt’s really gittin ma fuckin goat.
2006		D. Mitchell Black Swan Green 304: What [...] gets my goat about gorgios is how they call us dirty.
2013		T. Black Ringer [ebook] n.p.: The mention of that flash bastard gets my goat, big time.
2022		J. Hannaham Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit 21: ‘They gon try to get your goat [...] Provoke you’.

2. to impress, to move emotionally.

1908		N.Y. Eve. Journal 23 Apr. in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 49: It was the little woman with tears of joy trickling down her cheeks and so wildly clapping [...] that got my goat.
1913		Sun (Kalgoorlie, WA) 27 July 8/6: [US speaker] ‘We won’t altogether admit that [Australian girls] “put one over” Uncle Sam’s daughters, but [...] “They sure get his goat”’.
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 102: Long laughed hoarsely. ‘He’s got your goat all right.’.

3. to render nervous.

1912		J. London Smoke Bellew Pt 7 🌐 Just keep a-coming and don’t look down. That’s what got my goat. Just keep a-coming, that’s all.
1927		(con. 1917–18) J.M. Saunders Wings (1928) 72: He got to thinking about it and it’s got his goat.
1934		R. Sale ‘House of Kaa’ in Penzler Pulp Fiction (2007) 73: This thing’s getting my goat. First you knock off Lane [...].

(W.I., Bdos) in a state of absolute bliss.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

to gaze lecherously at, to leer.

1748–49

Cleland Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1985) 16: He only answer’d by gracious nods of approbation, whilst he look’d goats and monkeys at me.

1. (US) to lose one’s temper.

1910		Pearson’s Mag. 24 6/2: McFarland now lost his goat. With desperate energy he lashed out in a wild attempt to locate the Britisher.
1911		T.A. Dorgan ‘Daffydills’ in El Paso Herald (TX) 15 Sept. 11: Catcher Chief Meyers lost his goat and taking off his mask slowly walked to the pitcher’s box.
1912		T.A. Dorgan Silk Hat Harry’s Divorce Suit 13 Dec. [synd. cartoon strip] Okk-Okouk (Monkey talk meaning loss of angora).

2. to lose one’s courage, one’s ability to fight.

1915

Wodehouse Psmith Journalist (1993) 209: I goes in and mixes it, and then I seen Benson losing his goat, so I ups with an awful half-scissor hook to the plexus.

(Ulster) used of one who is sensible, ‘nobody’s fool’; also of objects, appreciable, substantial.

1898		Stomatologist 2 199: Please understand I’m no goat's toe.
1916		L. Doyle Mr. Wildridge of the Bank 107: But it was no goat's toe of a frost stopped the big waterfall.
1971		J. Coulter Drums Are Out 29: I used to think I was no goat’s toe myself at penning an essay.
1979		S. McAughtry Blind Spot 104: Annie thought she was no goat’s toe.
1997		Share Slanguage.
2001		R. Garland Gusty Spence 18: I thought we were ‘no goat’s toe’.

1. (also play the silly goat) to lead a degenerate, dissipated life.

1900		Flynt & Walton Powers That Prey 11: Every dashed son of a hayrick thinks he can come down here and play the goat and go back home an’ forgit it.
1905		A. Binstead Mop Fair 23: Every head [...] was turned towards where the delightful Botfly was playing the goat.
1912		E. Pugh Harry The Cockney 162: I’m sick of playing the silly goat. I’m sick of mouching the streets and dodging after a lot of girls.
1968		(con. 1928) S. Gore Holy Smoke 93: Don’t fiddlearse around playin’ the goat all the rest of your life!

2. to mess around, to act ineffectually.

1909		Wodehouse Mike [ebook] ‘[I]t won’t do for Mike to go playing the goat’.
1917		‘Sapper’ No Man’s Land 239: You ain’t playing the goat with a dam lump of straw now.

(Aus.) to surpass, to win.

1946

K.S. Prichard Roaring Nineties 182: ‘Cripes, can y’r beat it?’ Sam muttered. ‘Takes the goat’s tail!’ Blunt Pick agreed.