Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an outcast; often as poor pilgarlick, poor me.

1483		Catholicon Anglicum (1882) 279/1: Vellicare... pille garleke [F&H].
1619		Fletcher Humorous Lieutenant II ii: And there got he a knock, and down goes pilgarlick.
1671		‘A Furious Scold’ in Ebsworth Westminster Drolleries (1875) 38: Then to the Cupboard Pilgarlick must hie, To seek for some Crusts that have long lain dry.
c.1685		‘The West Country Weaver’ in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads (1893) VII:1 22: On her errands, Peel-garlick her husband she sends.
1690		‘Teague the Irish Soldier’ in Carpenter Verse in English from Tudor & Stuart Eng. (2003) 537: But Monsieur came in, and carry’d the Prey / Whilst I poor Pillgarlick receiv’d the Brass pay.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) II Bk V 522: The devil a bit poor pilgarlic could sleep one wink.
1700		N. Ward Rambling Rakes 7: [They] locks up the House, puts the Key under the Door, and there leaves poor Pill-Garlick Snoaring.
1715		‘Nickydemus Ninnyhammer’ Homer in a nut-shell Dedication: [A]way slips my Patron [...] bilks the Poet, and leaves poor Pillgarlick in the lurch.
1738		Swift Polite Conversation 35: Why, truly, they went all to the Opera; and so, poor Pillgarlick came home alone.
1741		Ordinary of Newgate Account of the Malefactors executed at Tyburn 18th March 1740 part II 12: They held a Consultation; the result of which was, immediately to quit the Lodgings and leave poor Pill Garlick in the Lurch.
1750		F. Coventry Hist. of Pompey Little (1785) I 47/1: ‘Odrabbet un,’ cries he, ‘why sure a can’t be dead, can a? by gar he is; pillgarlick is certainly dead.’.
1762		Bridges Homer Travestie (1764) II 7: Down came pilgarlick with a bang.
1770		Foote Lame Lover in Works (1799) II 93: So then it seems poor Pill Garlick here is discarded at once.
1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Pill, or Peele garlick, said originally to mean one whose skin or hair had fallen off from some disease, chiefly the venereal one; but now commonly used by persons speaking of themselves: as, there stood poor pill garlick: i.e. there stood I.
1787		Hereford Jrnl 9 Aug. 4/1: Madam squalls, the dogs bark, the Colonel roars, / And poor Pilgarlic was kick’d out of doors.
1796		Sporting Mag. Jan. VII 223/2: ‘O then,’ Pill Garlick quick reply’d, / ‘Let not a cat’s tail score my hide.’.
1802		R. Anderson ‘Nichol the Newsmonger’ Cumberland Ballads (1805) 8: Daft Peg’ got hersel, man, wi’ bairn, / And silly pilgarlic’s the fadder.
1818		‘A. Burton’ Adventures of Johnny Newcome II 119: Pilgarlic stooped to pull His dirty shirt off, o’er his skull.
1821		R. Waln Hermit in America on Visit to Phila. 2nd series 38: If a supper-party terminated in boisterous and ungentlemanlike riot, the whole fault rested on Pilgarlic.
1824		‘Geoffrey Crayon’ Tales of A Traveller (1850) 249: Alas for poor Pillgarlick! I knew little the mischief that was brewing against me.
1837		‘The Useful Young Man’ in Bentley’s Misc. May 486: Thus Sam – poor pill-garlic! – they safely trepan.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 30 Apr. n.p.: Pill Garlic had better take our advice, and procure an ice-box to keep him cool.
1846		Westmorland Gaz. 15 Dec. 8/6: Knowledge without practice makes poor Pilgarlic.
1847		Cork Examiner 5 Feb. 2/6: The mayor requested that the rate-payers would attend [...] and not leave him alone like a ‘pilgarlic’.
1857		Lancaster Gaz. 31 Oct. 4/5: Poor pilgarlic who has stupidly lent his now despised assistance [...] to estimate the true standard of his own littleness.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 67: pilgarlic I; myself. ‘There was no one with him but Pilgarlic,’ he was alone.
1872		Belfast News Letter 16 Dec. 4/6: Messrs Sawbones and Pilgarlic, who, when they hapen to meet at dinner, invariably talk shop.
1888		S.O. Addy Sheffield Gloss. 175: Pilgarlic, a poor, ill-dressed person, an object of pity or contempt.
1890		‘’Arry on Equality’ in Punch 22 Feb. 85/2: Poor pilgarlicks whose forbears was honest rich perks carn’t expect to enjoy.
1894		West. Australian (Perth) 28 Sept. 6/1: Thee beest a fine pilgarlic.
1909		Age (Queanbeyan, NSW) 12 Jan. 2/6: Supposing any one of us was to get lumbered and flopped into that match box clink and a fire was to burst out, you can bet your sweet life that the lovely John Hopper and his missus and the kinchins would do a Carrington and leave the poor philgarlick in the booby hatch to frizzle.
1995		RTÉ The Odd Word 31 July I was left sitting there like a pillgarlic [BS].

2. a bald head, a bald-headed man; also as adj.

1514		Skelton Agenst Garnesche iii line 67: Ye loste hyr favyr quyt! Your pylled garleke hed Cowde hocupy ther no stede.
1897		Times (Richmond, VA) 26 Feb. 5/2: [advert] Poor Pilgarlic [...] You can enjoy sitting down again under your own ‘thatch’ [...] as soon as you begin to use Ayer’s Hair Vigor.
1997		Share Slanguage.

3. (Irish) a shabbily dressed, sickly-looking person.

1997

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