1605. Ben Jonson, Volpone or the Fox, iii., 9. Put not your foists
upon me. I shall scent ’em.
3. (old).—A silent emission of wind through the anus (see quot., sense
2); a cheeser. See Fart and Fousty. [Coles has to fyst, vissio; which
in his Latin part he renders to fizzle. Also fysting cur; and in
Sherwood’s English Dictionary, subjoined to Cotgrave, fysting curs, and
other offenders of the same class, are fully illustrated.]
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Loffa, a fizle, a fiste, a close
fart.
1605. Jonson, Eastward Hoe, pl. iv., 270. Marry, fyst o’ your
Ruidess. I thought as much.
1662. Rump Songs, II., 3. That a reason be enacted (if there be not
one), Why a fart hath a voice, and a fyst hath none, Which nobody
can deny.
1690. B. E., Dict. of the Canting Crew. Foyst ... also a close
strong stink, without noise or report.
1785. Grose. Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. Fice or Foyse.
Verb. (old).—1. To trick; to swindle; to pick pockets.
1607. Dekker, Jests to Make You Merie, in wks. (Grosart) II., 332.
But now to the manner of the foysting of a pocket, the sharing of
the money, and how honest men may avoide them.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). To
foyst, to picke a pocket.
1653. Middleton, Spanish Gipsy, ii., 1. I mean fitching, foisting,
nimming.