1539. David Lyndsay, Thrie Estaitis (Works, Laing, 1879), ii., 109.
Ane fistand flag.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Loffare, s.v.
1611. Cotgrave, Dictionarie, Vessir, s.v.
Foister, or Foyster, subs. (old).—A pick-pocket; a cheat.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Barattiere, a barterer, a
trucker, a marter, an exchanger, a briber, a cheater, a false
gamester, a cousener, a broker, a fripper, a chaffrer, a cogger, a
foyster, a deceiuer, a coni-catcher, a bareter, a prowler.
(?). Mirrour for Magistrates, p. 483, When facing foisters, fit for
Tiburn. fraies, Are food-sick faint.
Follower, subs. (colloquial).—A maid-servant’s sweetheart; a beau. For
synonyms, see Jomer.
1838. Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, ch. xv. Five servants kept. No
man. No followers.
1860. Chambers’ Journal, XIII., p. 32. No followers allowed.
1870. Spectator, 15 Jan. It is safer, unkind as it may seem, to
forbid the presence of a ‘follower’ in the house. A girl is less
likely to get into mischief when she is walking with her friend in
the street or talking with him over the area gate, than when she
receives him alone in the kitchen.
1872. The Ladies, 29 June, p. 335. If you take into consideration
that ‘followers’ are in most houses strictly forbidden, what wonder
is it that girls are now and then caught flirting with the butcher
and the baker at the area railings?
Follow-me-lads, subs. phr. (common).—Curls or ribands hanging over the
shoulder; cf., Fr., suivez-moi-jeune-homme = ribbons flying behind a
lady’s dress. Also Followers.
1872. Spectator. ‘Follow-me-lads’ are not in themselves very
pretty, though, like any other fashion, they become the Princess,
and they are exceedingly costly.
Follow on, subs. phr. and verb (cricket).—A team eighty runs behind the
other in the first innings is obliged to follow on; i.e., to take to
the wickets a second time. A run more, and it saves the follow on.
1891. Pall Mall Gazette, 5 Aug. ‘Notts. v. Surrey.’ The game, with
a possible prospect of the follow-on, being saved.
Follow your nose! intj. phr. (streets’).—A retort on asking the way.
The full phrase is, ‘Follow your nose, and you are sure to go
straight.’
1620. Percy, Folio MSS., p. 462. He went to the sea syde, and
ffollowed his nose.
1854. Notes and Queries, x., p. 66. In what collection of tales
published in 1834 shall I find the tale entitled follow your nose?
Foo-foo, subs. (American).—A person of no account; an insignificant
idiot; a poop (q.v.).
1837. A Glance at New York (in Bartlett). Don’t know what a foo-foo
is? Well, as you’re a greenhorn, I’ll enlighten you. A foo-foo, or
an outsider, is a chap that can’t come the big figure.
Fool, subs. (colloquial.)—A dish of gooseberries, boiled with sugar and
milk. [Fr., groseilles en foule.] Also, a gull (q.v.).
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., III., 9. ‘Praise of the Dairy Maid.’ A
lady, I heard tell, Not far off did dwell, Made her husband a fool,
and it pleased him quite well.
1774. Goldsmith, Retaliation. And by the same rule, Magnanimous
Goldsmith’s a gooseberry fool.
No Fool, subs. phr. (American colloquial).—A phrase laudatory, applied
to neuter nouns. Cf., No Slouch.
1848. Jones, Sketches of Travel, p. 33. I tell you what, Charlston
ain’t no fool of a city.
To make a fool of, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To delude. Specifically
(venery), to cuckold, or to seduce under promise of marriage.
To fool about (or around), verb. phr. (American).—To dawdle; to trifle
with; to be infatuated with; to hang about; to defraud.
1837. A Glance at New York. Mose—Now look a-here, Liz,—I go in for
Bill Sykes, ’cause he runs wid our machine; but he musn’t come
foolin’ round my gal, or I’ll give him fits.
1884. Hawley Smart, Post to Finish, ch. xvii. From what I hear, you
came to Riddleton, fooling after my daughter. Now, I’ll have no
caterwauling of that sort.
1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody of Nowhere, p. 124. I should think you
had too much ed-u-cash to fool about such a going on.
Fool-finder, subs. (obsolete).—A bum-bailiff.—Grose.
Foolish, adj. (prostitutes’).—Said of a man that pays. ‘Is he flash
(q.v.) or foolish = Is he the cully or the other.’—Grose.
Fool-monger, subs. (colloquial).—A person, male or female, living by
their wits, e.g., a promoter (q.v.); a betting-man; a swindler. Also
Fool-catcher and Fool-trap (q.v.).
Foolometer, subs. (colloquial).—A standard, positive or neuter, whereby
to gauge the public taste.
Fool’s Father, subs. phr. (theatrical).—The pantaloon or old ’un.
(q.v.)
Fool-sticker, subs. phr. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms, see
Creamstick and Prick. Also Fool-maker.
Fool’s Wedding, subs. phr. (common).—A party of women. For synonyms,
see Hen Party.
Fool-trap, subs. (colloquial).—1. A fool-monger (q.v.).