rum go

• rum goo

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

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌm.ˌɡəʊ/

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rum go (plural rum gos)

1. (Cockney slang, dated) A peculiar, surprising, and/or confusing event, thing, etc.

   Synonyms: rum one, rum start, rum 'un

   • 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, chapter XXXV, 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[live] S[taples] Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, London: The Bodley Head, →OCLC:

     There they are, Strawberry—Fledge, I should say. This is a rum go.

   • 1964, William Crozier Walsh et 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.’