Informal term a girl or woman. Etymology: a) In the late 18 th century, a saucy name for an Irish woman, a modification of the Celtic caile, meaning girl. First recorded in English in 1795. b) In the US in the 1920s, an attractive young woman who was spunky, personable, and held independent views on politics and sex. 'What a gal!' was complimentary, implying that the woman referred to had both beauty and brains.
Quotes:
(1) Lady Lou (Mae West) in She Done Him Wrong (1933): -- Friend: ' Ah, Lady Lou, you're a fine gal, a fine woman.' -- Lady Lou: ' One of the finest women that ever walked the streets.'
(2) Cleo Borden (Mae West) and a Cowboy in Goin' to Town (1935): -- Cowboy: ' What's the excuse for a gal like you to be running around single? ' -- Cleo Borden: ' I was born that way.'
(3) Geraldine 'Gerry' Jeffers (Claudette Colbert) to her husband in The Palm Beach Story (1942): ' You have no idea what a long-legged gal can do without doing anything.'