gogmagogical

hernesheir commented on the word gogmagogical

Be it to all men by these presents knowne,

That lately to the world was plainely showne

In a huge volume gogmagoticall.

- Taylor's Workes, 1630

August 21, 2014

qms commented on the word gogmagogical

A true curiosity. Aside from a music company called Gogmagogical Records and some plainly playful uses the only instance of this word I can find is the one cited by hernesheir. It may be Talyor’s own coinage based on the biblical Gog and Magog. That is a more complicated pairing than I had realized but I’m guessing in the context of the citation it means something like “all encompassing.” See more at Gog and Magog .

August 21, 2014

hernesheir commented on the word gogmagogical

The sense of the word is giant or tremendous.

My source for gogmagogical is Nares, Robert, A glossary; or collection of words, phrases, names and allusions to customs, proverbs, etc., which have been thought to require illustration in the works of English authors, particularly of Shakespeare, and his contemporaries, New Edition, Vol I, p. 376. London. John Russel Smith. 1859.

See also:
Hyamson, Albert Montefiore, A Dictionary of English Phrases London and New York. 1922. p. 162.

Muret, Eduard, Encyclopædic English-German and German-English Dictionary, 1900, p. 982.

The entry for "Giants of Guildhall" in Nares' dictionary cited above informs us that the two enormous statues in the Guildhall of London were named Gogmagog and Corinaeus. The entry contains lines from a British broadside printed in 1660 that mention these two mythical giants.

"And thus attended by his direful dog, The gyant was (God bless us) Gogmagog.

These sources are available in Google Books.

August 21, 2014

qms commented on the word gogmagogical

Thank you, hernesheir. What very useful books.

August 21, 2014