Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 [of 7] : $b A dictionary, historical and comparative, of the heterodox speech of all classes of society for more than three hundred years. With synonyms in English, French, German, Italian, etc.Henley, William Ernest
History
Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 [of 7] : $b A dictionary, historical and comparative, of the heterodox speech of all classes of society for more than three hundred years. With synonyms in English, French, German, Italian, etc.
Henley, William Ernest
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries; Slang -- Dictionaries
Foxy, adj. (colloquial).—1. Red-haired; cf., carrotty.
1828. G. Griffin, Collegians, ch. ii. Dunat O’Leary, the
hair-cutter, or Foxy Dunat, as he was named in allusion to his red
head.
2. (colloquial).—Cunning; vulpine in character and look. Once literary.
Jonson (1605) calls his arch-foist volpone, the second title of his
play being ‘The Fox;’ and Florio (1598) defines Volpone as ‘an old fox,
an old reinard, an old, crafty, sly, subtle companion, sneaking,
lurking, wilie deceiver.’
d. 1536. Tyndale, Workes, p. 148. Oh, foxy Pharisay, that is thy
leuen, of which Christ so diligently bad vs beware.
1849. Dickens, David Copperfield, ch. xlix., p. 429. Whatever his
state of health may be his appearance is foxy, not to say
diabolical.
3. (American cobblers’).—Repaired with new toe-caps. See fox, verb,
sense 8.
1877. M. Twain, Life on the Mississippi, ch. lvii., p. 503. It was
the scarecrow Dean—in foxy shoes, down at the heels; socks of odd
colours, also ‘down.’
4. (booksellers’).—A term applied to prints and books discoloured by
damp; see Fox, verb, sense 6.
5. (painters’: obsolete).—Inclined to reddishness.
d. 1792. Sir J. Reynolds, Notes on Dufresnoy. That (style) of
Titian, which may be called the Golden manner, when unskilfully
managed, becomes what the painters call foxy.
6. (common).—Strong-smelling. Said of a red-haired man or woman.
Foy, subs. (old).—A cheat; a swindle.
1615. Greene, Thieves Falling Out. You be crossbites, foys, and
nips.
Foyl-cloy, subs. (old).—A pickpocket; a rogue—B. E. [1690].
Foyst, subs. and verb. See Foist.
Foyster. See Foister.
Fraggle, verb. (Texas).—To rob.
Fragment, subs. (Winchester College).—A dinner for six (served in
College Hall, after the ordinary dinner), ordered by a Fellow in favour
of a particular boy, who was at liberty to invite five others to join
him. Obs. A fragment was supposed to consist of three
dishes.—Winchester Word-book [1891].
Framer, subs. (American thieves’).—A shawl.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
Frater, subs. (old).—A beggar working with a false petition.
1567. Harman, Caveat, s.v. Frater, a beggar wyth a false paper.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, ii., 1. And these what name or title
e’er they bear, Jarkman, or Patrico, Cranke, or Clapper-dudgeon,
Frater, or Abramman, I speak to all That stand in fair election for
the title Of king of beggars.
1791. Life of Bamfylde Moore-Carew. ‘Oath of Canting Crew.’ Rogue
or rascal, frater, maunderer, Irish toyle, or other wanderer.
Fraud, subs. (colloquial).—A failure; anything or body disappointing
expectation; e.g., an acquaintance, a picture, a book, a play, a
picture, a bottle of wine. Actual dishonesty is not necessarily
implied.
1882. Punch, LXXXII., p. 177, col. 1. A fraud, Charlie!
Fraze. See Vessel.
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