1884. M. Twain, Huck. Finn, ch. v., p. 36. He got powerful thirsty and clumb out on to the porch-roof and slid down a stanchion, and traded his new coat for a jug of forty-rod. Forty-twa, subs. (Scots).—A common jakes, or bogshop (q.v.).—In Edinburgh: ‘so called from its accommodating that number of persons at once’ (Hotten). [Long a thing of the past.] Forty Winks, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A short sleep or nap. See Dog’s Sleep. 1866. G. Eliot, Felix Holt, ch. xliii. She was prevented by the appearance of old Mr. Transome, who since his walk had been having ‘forty-winks’ on the sofa in the library. 1871. Egan, Finish to Tom and Jerry, p. 87. On uncommanly big gentlemen, told out, taking forty-winks. [Forty is often used to signify an indefinite number; cf., Shakespeare’s usage, ‘I could beat forty of them’ (Cor. iii., 1); ‘O that the slave had forty thousand lives’ (Othello iii., 1); ‘forty thousand brothers’ (Hamlet, v., 1); ‘The Humour of Forty Fancies’ (Taming of the Shrew); and Jonson ‘Some forty boxes’ (Silent Woman).] Fossed, ppl. adj. (American thieves’).—Thrown; cf., [foss = a ditch]. Fossick, verb (Australian miners’).—To work an abandoned claim, or to wash old dirt; hence to search persistently. [Halliwell: = to take trouble, but cf., fosse, a ditch or excavation.] Also fossicking = a living got as aforesaid; fossicker = a man that works abandoned claims; fossicking about = (American) shinning around, or in England ferreting (q.v.). 1870. Notes and Queries, 4 S., vi., p. 3. 1878. Fraser’s Mag., Oct., p. 449, They are more suited ... to plodding, fossicking, persevering industry, than for hard work. 1887. Sala, in Ill. Lond. News, 12 Mar., p. 282, col. 2. ‘To fossick’ in the old digging days was to get a living by extracting gold from the refuse wash-dirt which previous diggers had abandoned as worthless. 1890. Illustrations, Jan., p. 158. After some ‘fossiking’ we discover three or four huts within ‘cooee,’ all diggers, all ‘hatters,’ and mostly good fellows. Fou, or Fow, adj. (old English and Scots’ colloquial).—Drunk; variants are bitch-fou; greetin’-fou; piper-fou; roaring-fou; fou as barty (Burns); pissing-fou; and so forth. For synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed. Also (Scots’) = full of food or drink, as in quot. under date 1815. 1697. Vanbrugh, Provoked Wife, III., ii. (quoted in). Then sit ye awhile, and tipple a bit, For we’s not very fou, but we’re gayly yet. 1787. Burns, Death and Dr. Hornbook, st. 3. I was na fou, but just had plenty. 1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, ch. xlvi. ‘Are ye fou or fasting?’ ‘Fasting from all but sin.’ 1857. J. E. Ritchie, Night Side of London, p. 166. The time admits of a man getting fou between the commencement and the close of the entertainment. Foul, subs. (nautical and aquatic).—A running into; a running down.