gudgeon

plural gudgeons

1. A small freshwater fish of species Gobio gobio, native to Eurasia.

   […] Ile tell thee more of this another time. / But fiſh not with this melancholy baite, / For this foole gudgin, this opinion: […]

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   3 more examples

   […] Make Fools believe in their fore-seeing / Of things before they are in Being; / To swallow Gudgeons ere th' are catch'd, / And count their Chickens ere th' are hatch'd, […]

   1663 (indicated as 1664), [Samuel Butler], “The Second Part of Hudibras. Canto III.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 175

   The Gudgeon is reputed a fish of excellent taste, and to be very wholesome: he is of a fine shape, of a silver colour, and beautified with black spots both on his body and tail.

   1676, Izaak Walton, “[The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation: Part I […].] Observations of the Gudgeon, the Ruffe, and the Bleak, and How to Fish for Them.”, in Richard Le Gallienne, editor, The Compleat Angler, 5th edition, London; New York, N.Y.: John Lane, The Bodley Head, published 1897, →OCLC, page 199

   You save your souls here, eating cabbage, and think you are the righteous. You eat a gudgeon a day, and you think you bribe God with gudgeon.

   1912, Fyodor Dostoevsky, “Why is such a Man Alive?”, in Constance Garnett, transl., The Brothers Karamazov […], New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, published 1922, part I, book II (An Unfortunate Gathering), page 73

   Synonyms: common gudgeon, goby, wapper

2. CanadaCottus bairdii, more widely known as mottled sculpin.
3. AustraliaAny of various similar small fish of the family Eleotridae, often used as bait.

   The southern purple-spotted gudgeon [Mogurnda adspersa] can be hard to find. Although colourful, they are thin and only grow up to 12 centimetres.

   2012 October 5, Nicola Gage, “Murray Showing Signs of Recovery”, in ABC News, Sydney, N.S.W., archived from the original on 01 Nov 2019

   Synonyms: sleeper goby

4. Any of various other fish, similar in appearance and principally in families Butidae and Eleotridae.
5. archaicfigurativelyA person apt to take the bait; one easily cheated or duped; also, an idiot.

   "Don't be a gudgeon," she grumbled, tugging at the dress much more fiercely than was necessary. "If this works as you say it will, nobody will notice me."

   2004, Robert Jordan, “Making Use of Invisibility”, in New Spring, New York, N.Y.: Tor Books, Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, page 298

   2 more examples

   The Doctor now obeys the Summons, / Likes both his Company, and Commons; / Diſplays his Talent, ſits till Ten; / Next Day invited, comes again; / Soon grows Domeſtick, ſeldom fails, / Either at Morning, or at Meals; / Came early, and departed late: / In ſhort, the Gudgeon took the Bait.

   1713, Jonathan Swift, “Horace, Epistle VII. Book I. Imitated and Addressed to the Earl of Oxford, in the Year 1713”, in Miscellanies. The Last Volume, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], published 1733, →OCLC, page 149, lines 73–80

   "Is it not also known that you two innocents were doing the Churches week by week? Was it not patent that sooner or later you would come to a Spiritualist gathering? Here was a chance for a convert! They set a bait and poor old gudgeon Malone came along and swallowed it."

   1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019

   Synonyms: chump, chumpion, cousin, cull, cully, dupe, dotterel, easy mark

6. archaicfigurativelySomething used to lure or tempt; bait, a lure.

present singular third person gudgeons · participle present gudgeoning · participle past gudgeoned · past gudgeoned

1. archaictransitiveTo deprive (someone) fraudulently; to cheat, to dupe.

   I have seen when you were willing to tie his points or brush his cloak, or the like—and to be treated thus ungratefully—and gudgeoned of the opportunities which had been given you—

   1826, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, →OCLC, page 106

2. archaicintransitiveTo take the bait; to be defrauded or duped.

plural gudgeons

1. alsoattributiveA circular or cylindrical fitting, often made of metal, into which a pin or pintle fits to create a hinge or pivoting joint.

   [A]s to a Wheel-barrow, I fancy'd I could make all but the Wheel; but that I had no Notion of, neither did I know how to go about it; beſides, I had no possible way to make the Iron Gudgeons for the Spindle or Axis of the Wheel to run in, ſo I gave it over; [...]

   1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, pages 85–86

2. specificallynauticalIn a vessel with a stern-mounted rudder: the fitting into which the pintle of the rudder fits, allowing the rudder to swing freely.

   This afternoon the gudgeon of the rudder belonging to the large cutter, was drawn out and ſtolen, without being perceived by the man that was ſtationed to take care of her.

   1792, William Bligh, chapter VII, in A Voyage to the South Sea, […] in His Majesty’s Ship The Bounty, […], London: […] George Nicol, […], →OCLC, page 83

   Synonyms: brace