on the gad
dated Moving or roaming about, especially without distinct purpose or direction. This town becomes overrun with young men and women on the gad during the summer. The entire herd of cattle had escaped and were on the gad in the fields around the farm.
gad around
To wander in search of fun or pleasure. You can't just gad around all day—you have to get some work done too.
gad about
To wander in search of fun or pleasure. You can't just gad about all day—you have to get some work done too.
gad around
and gad aboutto go from place to place, having fun. I'm too old to gad around like that. She wasted too much time gadding about with her friends.
on (or upon) the gad
on the move. The noun gad is archaic and is now used only in this expression. The verb gad meaning ‘go from one place to another in search of pleasure’, is more familiar today; both may have their origins in an obsolete word gadling , meaning ‘a wanderer or vagabond’.