Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) the mouth; in pl., the lips; occas. the throat.

c.1535		R. Copland Hye way to the Spyttel House Eiii: Cyarum by salmon and thou shalt pek my iere / In thy gan for my watch it is nace gere.
c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 82: gan, a mouth.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: [as cit. c.1535].
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 43: A gere peck in thy gan.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: This Bowse is better than Rum-bowse, / It sets the Gan a-gigling.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Gan, A Lip.
a.1674		‘The Rogues . . . praise of his Stroling Mort’ in Head Canting Academy (1674) 19: White thy fambles, red thy gan, / And thy quarrons dainty is.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Gan, a Mouth.
1688		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 222: [as cit. 1674].
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ganns c. the Lipps.
1725		Vain Dreamer (in Dodsley 1826) 46: Her gans were like to coral red, / A thousand times I kissed ’em.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: gan a mouth. [Ibid.] gans the lips.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 18: Lips – Gans.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: gan the mouth or lips (cant).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: Gan the mouth.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1785].
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. [as cit. 1809].
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum [as cit. 1785].
1881		Trumble Sl. Dict. (1890).
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 43/2: Gans, the lips.