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Gawm vs Gawn - What's the difference?

gawm | gawn |

As nouns the difference between gawm and gawn

is that gawm is (foolish person) while gawn is (obsolete|uk|dialect) a small tub or lading vessel.

As verbs the difference between gawm and gawn

is that gawm is (lb) or gawm can be while gawn is (eye dialect) eye dialect spelling of certain regional pronunciations of going.

gawm

English

Etymology 1

Noun

(en noun)
  • (foolish person).
  • * 1892 , The Awkward Squads'', in ''Littell's Living Age , volume 195, page 811:
  • "E-y-e-s front ! Och, luk in front av ye, for the love o' marcy, an' don't be bigger gawms than y'are." Again he took up his parade before the squad.
  • * 2002 , Joseph O'Conner, Star of the Sea , Vintage 2003, page 10:
  • The farmer would accuse his son of idleness; the son would retort that his father was a drunken gawm .
  • * 2013 , Flann O'Brien, O'Dea's Your Man'', in ''Collected Plays and Teleplays (ISBN 1564789888), page 417:
  • In twenty-wan years in this box I don't believe I've ever pulled down wan of those signal yokes without half-expecting a pint of stout to come out down below somewhere. And isn't it the right gawm I'd look if it did come.

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb)
  • * 1909 , Eugene Wood, The Merry Yule-Tide'', in ''The New England Magazine , page 438:
  • In just about a month to-morrow morning we'll crunch the candy into the rug at every step, and all we touch will be gawmed up and sticky.
  • * 1920 , The Monitor , page 13:
  • A nation cannot get anywhere if it has things gawmed up.
  • * 1905 , Charles Battell Loomis, Minerva's Manoeuvres: The Cheerful Facts , page 78:
  • "Might as well be dead as all gawmed up with that fly paper stuff."

    Etymology 3

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • * 1885 , Mary Catherine Rowsell, Traitor Or Patriot?: A Tale of the Rye-house Plot , page 278:
  • "Ay, 'tis indeed," she went on, "and Mistress Ruth has eyes an' ears, an' uses 'em to better purpose than some folks I know" — and she threw a significant glance at her bewildered better half — "as can only stand gaffin' and gawmin' at a body."
  • * 1888 , W. R. Credland, A Farm in the Fens'', in the ''Papers of the Manchester Literary Club , volume 14, page 267:
  • “Now, yah ha done! and don't be gawming there, yah soft-headed chawbacon. Go hoam to yar mother!”
  • * 1897 , J. Carmichael, Man and Beast'', in the ''Monthly Packet , page 392:
  • ‘There, be off with you! how can I figure with you standin' gawmin' at me there like a stuck pig with an orange in its mouth!’
  • * 1897 , James Prior, Ripple and Flood: A Novel , page 368:
  • "What does he want," she said, "gawmin' at me as if a wor a wild beast show?"

    gawn

    English

    Etymology 1

    Corrupted from (gallon).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete, UK, dialect) A small tub or lading vessel.
  • (Johnson)
    (Webster 1913)

    Etymology 2

    Corrupted from (going)

    Verb

    (head)
  • (eye dialect) Eye dialect spelling of certain regional pronunciations of going.
  • *1841 , Susan Edmonstone Ferrier, The Inheritance , page 8:
  • I'm no used to your grandees, and I'm no gawn' to begin to learn fashionable mainners noo — so dinna ask me — I'm no ' gawn to mak a fule o' mysel' at this time o' day.
  • *2007 , Jacqueline Wales, When the Crow Sings , page 110:
  • Agnes came in dressed in nightgown and curlers. “Are we still gawn' to the church bingo the night? I told Bessie I'd be ' gawn .”
  • *2014 , Charles R. Allen, 99 Cent Adventure Time Stories: The House of Weird Sleep , page 3:
  • “Ah'm gawn' to tear yore skin off with this here whip,” came the guttural voice from behind him. “Then ah'm ' gawn to rub salt in the cuts an' leave you hyar on the floor.”
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