gutful

plural gutfuls · plural gutsful · alternative gutsful

1. informalAs much as a gut (abdomen) will hold.

   He drank a gutful of beer.

   3 more examples

   In every dark corner, fat black bin bags were bent double, throwing up gutfuls of old clothes.

   2005, Zane Radcliffe, The Killer′s Guide to Iceland, page 66

   Several gutfuls of alcoholic laughter-breath rolled around the room.

   2006, David Blackwell, Clamped, page 198

   Stratonike laughed, great gutfuls of loud raucous laughter that carried across the crowd.

   2010, Gary Corby, The Pericles Commission, unnumbered page

2. AustraliaNew ZealandUKslangAs much as one is willing to hear or experience; as much as or more than one can bear; too much; a surfeit.

   I've had a gutful of politics lately.

   4 more examples

   By Monday afternoon we were finished - loadwise, physically, mentally, you name it, we'd had a gutful of it.

   2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 114

   He starts mouthing off a bit, then Priz says, “Pipe down while we′re trying to eat,” and then Dogga looks up and puts in, “I′ve had a gutful of ye.” ‘So then Barrowclough, the uraguhne, says, “Well, I′ve had a gutful of ye,” and adds, “I′ll break yer bleedin′ kneck.”

   2002, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, The Lady of the Sorrows, page 199

   I told the captain what had happened and that the only reason the second rower hadn′t been sent off was because he missed. Then I added that I′d had a gutful and I′d start getting rid of blokes if it kept up. The captain said, ‘You′ve had a gutful! Well, we′ve had a gutful of you.’

   2003, Bill Harrigan, Harrigan: The Referee in a League of His Own, unnumbered page

   I looked at him and thought, ‘[…]He is, he′s exposing himself!’ I abandoned my shopping trolley, marched over to him and screamed, 'I′ve had a gutful! Do you understand me? I′ve had an absolute gutful of men and their dicks.[…]’

   2008, Denise Scott, All That Happened at Number 26, page 141