Gob is a slang word for mouth but
it is also a legitimate English word meaning a lump of something; a mass, as of
something soft; informally a large quantity or amount; waste material produced
in coal mining, consisting of clay, shale, etc.
Back to slang I need to mention
here that to ‘gob on’ something means to spit on it (usually after the
delightful habit of sniffing up mucus first).
But according to Emma Harding in
Nick Parker’s ‘Bling, Blogs and Bluetooth’ (2006) a ‘gob on’ has recently
become a valid English expression as well.
It means “any period detail on a house which obstinately refuses to
belong to the era of the building to which it is attached”. Many such appendages are so obscene that one
might be tempted to gob on them.
Aren't you glad you just learned all that?
Steve usually used "gob" when I would have said mouth, and I always thought it is simply a typical Yorkshire word. But now I know more about the word, thanks to your blog!
ReplyDeleteFurther to gob. In 19th century nautical slang sailors were called gobs,
ReplyDeleteperhaps because of their penchant for chewing gobs of tobacco, and perhaps for their yarning - both activities connected inevitably to what came out of their mouths - tobacco juice and words. hmmm.
Take care,
McGregor