Meaning of gardyloo | Babel Free

Definitions

A cry used to warn passersby before emptying a vessel of wastewater into the street.

Scotland, historical

Examples

“[A]ll the chairs in the family are emptied into this here barrel once a-day; and at ten o'clock at night the whole cargo is flung out of a back windore that looks into some street or lane, and the maid calls Gardy loo to the passengers, which signifies, Lord have⟳ mercy upon you! and this is done every night in every house at Haddingborough; so you may guess⟳, Mary Jones, what a sweet savour comes from such a number⟳ of profuming pans […]”

“It would, in fact, seem as if a tacit agreement existed, that so soon as St Giles' clock struck ten, the windows were simultaneously opened for a general discharge (which, in 1745, must have⟳ rather alarmed Prince Charles' followers, when they had possession of the town), and the streets and closes resounded with one universal cry⟳, Gardyloo! Dr Jamieson, in his Dictionary, gives the word as Jordeloo: I doubt⟳ if any such word was ever used; but in his Supplement the learned Doctor properly assigns it to the original French phrase, Gare de l'eau—Beware the water […]”

“Gardyloo is a word logophiles find⟳ irresistible. According to Ms. Sperling, gardyloo was, "in old Edinburgh, a warning cry⟳ before throwing dirty water from windows into the street in the 1770s. […]"”

“The method of garbage disposal in the Old Town was to shout⟳ ‘Gardy-loo’ and throw⟳ everything out the window. Gardy-loo was a warped version of gardez l'eau (approximately French for ‘watch⟳ out for the water’) – except it wasn't just water the warning referred to. […] [A] cry⟳ of ‘Gardy-loo’ was greeted by the return⟳ screech of ‘Haud yer haun’ (hold⟳ your hand). This would give⟳ you time to get⟳ into a doorway and all you suffered was a few splatters.”

“His eyes grew wide in revulsion when he realized what had just landed on him. His shout⟳ ripped through the midnight sky like⟳ a knife. "Gardyloo! Gardyloo! You are supposed to yell⟳ gardyloo before you throw⟳ your chamber pot out the window! You repulsive vermin, come⟳ down here so I can bash in your head!"”

CEFR level