gist: [18] Cest action gist, literally ‘this action lies’, was an Old French expression denoting that a case was sustainable in law and could be proceeded with. English took over gist, which was the third person singular of the verb gésir ‘lie’, as a legal term meaning ‘grounds for action in a suit’. The more general modern meaning, ‘central point’, developed in the 19th century. [gist etymology, gist origin, 英语词源]