rum go

English

Alternative forms

• rum goo

Etymology

UK dialectal (chiefly Cockney); rum (“strange, peculiar”) + go (“incident, occurrence”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌm.ˌɡəʊ/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

rum go (plural rum gos)

1. (Cockney slang, dated) A peculiar, surprising, and/or confusing event, thing, &c.
   • 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “Chapter 35”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:

     ‘Here’s rayther a rum go, sir,’ replied Sam.
     ‘What?’ inquired Mr. Pickwick.
     ‘This here, Sir,’ rejoined Sam. ‘I’m wery much afeerd, sir, that the properiator o' this here coach is a playin' some imperence vith us.’

   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “I Go to Bristol”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part II (The Sea Cook), page 55:

     “Well, who's a better right?” growled the gamekeeper. “A pretty rum go if squire ain't to talk for Dr. Livesey, I should think.”

   • 1955, C. S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, p. 85:

     “There they are, Strawberry - Fledge, I should say. This is a rum go.”

   • 1964, William Crozier Walsh & al., Mary Poppins:

     Bert: Life's a rum go, Guv'nor, and that's the truth.

   • 1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 26:

     Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’

Synonyms

• rum start, rum 'un, rum one

Translations

a surprising event, a confusing experience

• Hungarian: furcsa dolog, fura dolog
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}