1664. Butler, Hudibras, ii., 1, Fulhams of poetic fiction.
Fulham Virgin, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A fast woman. Cf., Bankside
lady; Covent Garden nun; St. John’s Wood vestal, etc.
Fulk, verb (old schoolboys’).—To use an unfair motion of the hand in
plumping at taw.—Grose.
Fulke, verb (venery).—To copulate. [A euphemism suggested by Byron in
Don Juan, the first and last words of which, so adepts tell you, are
‘I’ and ‘fulke.’]
Fulker, subs. (old).—A pawnbroker. For synonyms, see Uncle.
1566. Gascoigne, Supposes, ii., 3. The Fulker will not lend you a
farthing upon it.
Full, adj. (colloquial).—1. Drunk. For synonyms, see Drinks and
Screwed.
1888. Detroit Free Press, 15 Dec. When he was full the police came
and jugged.
2. (turf). Used by bookmakers to signify that they have laid all the
money they wish against a particular horse.
Full-guts, subs. phr. (common).—A swag-bellied man or woman.
A Full hand, subs. phr. (American waiters’). Five large beers. For
analogous expressions, see Go.
Full in the belly, subs. phr. (colloquial).—With child.
Full in the pasterns (or the hocks), subs. phr.
(colloquial).—Thick-ankled.
Full team, subs. phr. (American).—An eulogium. A man is a full team
when of consequence in the community. Variants are whole team, or whole
team and a horse to spare. Cf. one-horse = mean, insignificant, or
strikingly small.
Full in the waistcoat, adj. phr. (colloquial).—Swag-bellied.
Full of ’em, adj. phr. (common).—Lousy; nitty; full of fleas.
Full to the bung, adj. phr. (colloquial).—Very drunk. For synonyms, see
Drinks and Screwed.
To have (or wear) a full suit of mourning, verb. phr. (pugilists’).—To
have two black eyes. Half-mourning = one black eye. For synonyms, see
Mouse.
To come full bob, verb. phr. (old colloquial).—To come suddenly; to
come full tilt.
1672. Marvell, Rehearsal Transposed (in Grosart, iii., 414). The
page and you meet full bob.
Full against, adv. phr. 1. Dead, or decidedly opposed to, a person,
thing, or place.
Full-bottomed (or -breeched, or -pooped), adv. phr. (colloquial).—Broad
in the hind; barge-arsed (q.v.)
Full-flavoured, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Peculiarly rank: as a story, an
exhibition of profane swearing, an emission of wind, etc.
Full-fledged, adv. phr. (venery).—Ripe for defloration.
Full-gutted, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Stout; swag-bellied.
Full of emptiness, adv. phr. (common).—Utterly void.
Full on, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Set strongly in a given direction,
especially in an obscene sense: e.g., full on for it or full on for one
= ready and willing au possible.
At full chisel, adv. phr. (American).—At full speed; with the greatest
violence or impetuousity. Also full drive; full split. Cf. hickety
split; ripping; staving along; two-thirty, etc.
In full blast, swing, etc., adv. phr. (colloquial).—In the height of
success; in hot pursuit.
1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 5 a.m., Part I. At five a.m. the
publication of the Times newspaper is, to use a north-country
mining expression, in ‘full blast.’
1884. Daily News, Feb. 9, p. 5, col. 2. If he visit New York in
that most pleasant season, the autumn, he will find that the ‘fall’
trade is ‘in full blast.’
1888. Daily Telegraph, 17 Nov. By half-past ten o’clock the
smoking-room was in full swing.
In full dig, adv. phr. (common).—On full pay.
In full feather, see Feather.
In full fig.—1. See Fig (to which may be added the following
illustrative quotations).
1836. M. Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 178. In front of this
shed—full fig, in regular Highland costume, philabeg, short hose,
green coatee, bonnet and feather, marched the bagpiper.
1836. M. Scott, Cringle’s Log, ch. xi. Captain Transom, the other
lieutenant, and myself in full puff, leading the van, followed by
about fourteen seamen.
1838. Haliburton, Clockmaker, (2nd ed.), ch. viii. ‘Lookin’ as
pleased as a peacock when it’s in full fig with its head and tail
up.’
1841. Punch, i., p. 26, col. 1. Dressed in full fig—sword very
troublesome—getting continually between my legs.
1874. Mrs. H. Wood, Johnny Ludlow (1st ed.), No. IV., p. 62. When
our church bells were going for service, Major Parrifer’s carriage
turned out with the ladies all in full fig.
2. adv. phr. (venery).—Said of an erection of the penis; prick-proud
(q.v.). For synonyms, see Horn.
Like a straw-yard bull: full of fuck and half starved, phr. (venery). A
friendly retort to the question, ‘How goes it?’ i.e., How are you?
Full of it, phr. (common).—With child.
Full of guts, phr. (colloquial).—Full of vigour; excellently inspired
and done: as a picture, a novel, and so forth. See Guts.
Full of beans, see Beans.
Full of bread, see Bread.
Fuller’s Earth, subs. phr. (old).—Gin. For synonyms, see Satin.
1821. Real Life in London, i., 394. The swell covies and
out-and-outers find nothing so refreshing, after a night’s spree,
when the victualling office is out of order, as a little fuller’s
earth, or dose of Daffy’s.
1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, iii., 3. Bring me de kwarten of de
fuller’s earth.
Fullied. To be fullied, verb. phr. (thieves’).—To be committed for
trial. [From the newspaper expression, ‘Fully committed.’] Fr., être
mis sur la planche au pain.
1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, Vol. iii., p. 397.
He got acquitted for that there note after he had me ‘pinched’
(arrested). I got fullied (fully committed).
1879. Horsley, ‘Autobiography of a Thief,’ in Macmillan’s Magazine,
xl., 506. I ... was then fullied and got this stretch and a half.
1889. Answers, 13 April, p. 313. At the House of Detention I often
noticed such announcements as ‘Jack from Bradford fullied for
smashing, and expects seven stretch,’ i.e., fully committed for
trial for passing bad money, and expects seven years’ penal
servitude.
Fulness. There’s not fulness enough in the sleeve top. phr.
(tailors’).—A derisive answer to a threat.
Fumbler, subs. (old).—An impotent man.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. Fumbler, c., an
unperforming husband; one that is insufficient; a weak Brother.
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., vi., 312. The old fumbler (title).
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
c. 1790. Burns, ‘David and Bathsheba,’ p. 40. ‘By Jove,’ says she,
‘what’s this I see, my Lord the King’s a fumbler.’
Fumbler’s Hall, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum. See, however,
quot. 1690. For synonyms, see Monosyllable.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. Fumbler’s hall, the
place where such (fumblers, q.v.) are to be put for their
non-performance.
Free of Fumbler’s hall, phr.—Said of an impotent man.
Fumbles, subs. (thieves’).—Gloves.
1825. Kent, Modern Flash Dict., s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
1881. New York Slang Dict., s.v.
Fun, subs. (old).—1. A cheat; a trick.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew, s.v.
2. (old).—The posteriors, or Western End (Marvell). Probably an
abbreviation of fundament. For synonyms, see Blind Cheeks and Monocular
Eye-glass.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. I’ll kick your fun, c.,
I’ll kick your arse.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Verb. (old).—1. To cheat; to trick. Also to put the fun on.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. What do you fun me? Do
you think to Sharp or Trick me? Ibid. He put the fun upon the cull,
c., he sharp’d the Fellow. Ibid. I funn’d him, c., I was too hard
for him; I outwitted or rook’d him.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859 Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
To poke fun at, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To joke; to ridicule; to make
a butt.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, i., p. 280. O fie! Mister
Noakes,—for shame, Mr. Noakes! To be poking your fun at us
plain-dealing folks.
1855. Haliburton (‘Sam Slick’) Human Nature, p. 124. I thought you
was pokin’ fun at me; for I am a poor ignorant farmer, and these
people are always making game of me.
1865. Neal, Charcoal Sketches (in Bartlett). Jeames, if you don’t
be quit poking fun at me, I’ll break your mouth, as sure as you sit
there.
To have been making fun, verb. phr. (common).—Intoxicated. For
synonyms, see Drinks and Screwed.
To have (or do) a bit of fun, verb. phr. (venery).—To procure or enjoy
the sexual favour. For synonyms, see Greens.
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.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (1890), p. 91. I was in a complete
funk.
1837. Barham, I. L., Look at the Clock, ed. 1862, p. 39. Pryce,
usually brimful of valour when drunk, Now experienced what
schoolboys denominate funk.
1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 9. The mules, which was
a-snorting with funk and running before the Injuns ... followed her
right into the corral, and thar they was safe.
1850. Literary World (New York), 30 Nov. So my friend’s fault is
timidity.... I grant, then, that the funk is sublime, which is a
true and friendly admission.
1856. Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown’s School-days, p. 196. If I was
going to be flogged next minute, I should be in a blue funk.
1859. Whitty, Political Portraits, p. 30. Lord Clarendon did not
get through the business without these failures, which result from
the intellectual process termed freely funk.
1861. Macmillan’s Magazine, p. 211. I was in a real blue funk.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. xxxvi. I was in a real blue
funk and no mistake.
1870. London Figaro, 19 Oct. After the Fire. He was in a mortal
funk, no doubt.
1871. Maxwell, in Life (1882), xvi., 382. Certainly χλωρὸν θéος is
the Homeric for a blue funk.
1888. Cassell’s Saturday Journal, 29 Dec., p. 305. You’re always in
a funk about nothing at all.