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
Functior or Functure, subs. (Winchester College).—An iron bracket
candlestick, used for the nightlight in college chambers. [The word,
says Winchester Notions, looks like fulctura, an earlier form of
fulture, meaning a prop or stay with phonetic change of l into n.]
1870. Mansfield, School Life at Winchester, p. 68. Beside the
window yawned the great fireplace, with its dogs, on which rested
the faggots and bars for the reception of the array of boilers.
Above it was a rushlight, fixed in a circular iron pan fastened to
a staple in the wall; it was called the functior.
Fundamental Features, subs. phr. (common).—The posteriors. For
synonyms, see Blind Cheeks and Monocular Eye-glass.
1818. Moore, Fudge Family, ix., Aug. 21. O can we wonder, best of
speechers, When Louis seated thus we see, That France’s
‘fundamental features’ Are much the same they used to be?
Funds, subs. (colloquial).—Finances; e.g. ‘my funds are very low.’
Funeral. It’s not my (or your) funeral, verb. phr. (American).—i.e., It
is no business of mine, or yours. Fr., nib dans mes blots (= that is
not my affair). Also used affirmatively.
1867. Mrs. Whitney, A Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite’s Life, p. 183.
‘It’s none of my funeral, I know, Sin Saxon,’ said Miss Craydocke.
‘I’m only an eleventh-hour helper; but I’ll come in for the holiday
business ... that’s more in my line.’
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 239. This is none of your funeral
is heard quite frequently as an indirect rebuke for intermeddling,
with the ludicrous undercurrent of thought, that the troublesome
meddler has no right to be crying at a strange man’s funeral.
1877. Hartford Times, 17 Oct. Senators Blaine and Barnum passed
down to New York, en route to Washington, on Wednesday last, when
Barnum asked Blaine how he liked the news from Ohio. ‘Oh, that
isn’t my funeral, I want you to understand,’ replied the plucky
Maine Senator.
1888. Missouri Republican, 8 Apr. After a lot of slides had been
exhibited the audience howled for Miss Debar. It got so noisy that
Mr. Marsh reluctantly exclaimed—‘Well, is this your funeral or
mine?’
Fungus, subs. (old).—An old man.
Funk, subs. (old).—1. Tobacco smoke; also a powerful stink. Cf., Ger.,
funke; Walloon funki.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. What a funk here is!
What a thick smoke. Smoak of Tobacco is here! Ibid. Here’s a damn’d
funk, here’s a great stink.
2. (vulgar).—A state of fear; trepidation, nervousness, or cowardice; a
stew (q.v.). Generally, with an intensitive, e.g., a ‘mortal,’ ‘awful,’
‘bloody,’ ‘blue,’ or ‘pissing’ funk. Fr., la guenette; le flubart
(thieves’); la frousse (also = diarrhœa). It., filo = thread.
1796. Wolcott, Pindarina, p. 59. If they find no brandy to get
drunk, Their souls are in a miserable funk.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib’s Memorial, p. 21. Up he rose in a funk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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