Comments on: What's the etymology of "gully"?

Question: What's the etymology of "gully"?

matteo — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 17:59:20 -0800

What's the etymology of "gully" (as in "street", "badass")? Thanks.

By: matteo

matteo — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:02:42 -0800

I mean, it can't possibly come from "gullet", right? if the answer's too obvious and it escaped me anyway, please forgive my un-gully, foreigner ass.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:06:16 -0800

"I'm from the gutter, baby - I'm so damn street."

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:21:16 -0800

Main Entry:1gullly
Pronunciation:*g*-l*, *g*-
Function:noun
Inflected Form:plural gullies
Etymology:short for English dialect gully knife
Date:1582

dialect British : a large knife

Main Entry:2gullly
Variant:also gullley \*g*-l*\
Function:noun
Inflected Form:plural gullies
Etymology:obsolete English gully gullet, probably alteration of Middle English golet ravine, throat
Date:1637

Looks like it went gully ---> throat --> gully knife (a good, big knife to slash throats with) --> your meaning.

This is from Webster's 11th.

By: winston

winston — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 19:28:09 -0800

Gully is a common synonym for gutter. That would seem to have a connection to "street."

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:04:00 -0800

* The gully in the street has the lid missing or damaged. Who do I contact?
* The gully in the street is blocked/smells. It is dangerous. Who do I report it to?

Definitely a UK synonym for "gutter".

By: metaculpa

metaculpa — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:18:32 -0800

Etymology:obsolete English gully gullet, probably alteration of Middle English golet ravine, throat

Really? Gulli is Hindi for alley, so I thought it came long the pyjamas/thug route from India.

By: Mo Nickels

Mo Nickels — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 22:26:42 -0800

Your question unclear. Do you mean "street" n. as in "a road or thoroughfare (especially in a town)" or do you mean "street" adj. "savvy to underground, criminal, or other subcultures"?

In any case, if you mean the adjective, note that Jonathon Green's "Cassell's Dictionary of Slang" (first edition) offers:

As two of the meanings of gully-raker "a man having sexual intercourse" and "a womanizer," a gully being slang for the female pudenda.

Under "gully" v. "to trick, to fool," related to "gull" v. "to deceive, to fool" and connects it to "gull," "a fledgling" and suggests the image of a young bird with mouth open offering whatever is given.

The "gullet/gully" knife above also makes sense as a source or reinforcer of any idea of "badass," noun or adjective.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 02:16:48 -0800

How about gully, as in ravine, being used instead of canyon, to describe city streets between high buildings?

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 02:28:34 -0800

Mo Nickels - in Hip-hop culture, street can mean "inferior", "real", "intense", or even "luxurious", depending on tone and context. It's not unlike the extra connotation ascribed to "literally".

By: suni

suni — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 03:23:26 -0800

i vote for "from the gully"

By: Mo Nickels

Mo Nickels — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 10:15:12 -0800

Yes, I'm aware of that, Smart Dalek, but Matteo said nothing about hip-hop. In the fourth volume of the Historical Dictionary of American Slang we will have quite a large entry on "street."