Faggot-briefs, subs. (political).—Bundles of dummy papers sometimes
carried by briefless barristers. [Cf., Faggot, sense 3.]
1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 10 a.m. Par. 10. The counsel
chat and poke each other in the ribs; the briefless ones, in the
high back rows, scribble caricatures on their blotting-pads, or
pretend to pore over faggot briefs.
1887. Cornhill Mag., June, p. 627.
Faggot briefs ... those bundles of dummy papers sometimes carried by
the briefless ones.
Faggoteer, (also Faggot-master), subs. (venery).—A whoremonger. For
synonyms, see Molrower.
Faggot-vote, subs. (political).—A vote secured by the purchase of
property under mortgage, or otherwise, so as to constitute a nominal
qualification without a substantial basis. [Derived by some from
Faggot, sense 3; by others from the mode of manufacture, i.e., by the
purchase of property which is divided into as many lots as will
constitute separate votes, and given to different persons.]
1854. Notes and Queries, vol. X., p. 403. Faggot-vote.—Can you
inform me of the origin of the term used to denote a spurious or
fictitious vote, formed usually by the nominal transfer of a
sufficient qualification to an otherwise unqualified man; this is
called a faggot vote.
1879. Gladstone, 1st Midl. Speech, 25 Nov. Why, gentlemen, quite
apart from every question of principle, nothing, I venture to say,
can be so grossly imprudent as that which is familiarly known in
homely but most accurate phrase as the manufacture of faggot votes.
1887. Cornhill Mag., June, p. 627. Faggot votes ... the name is
probably taken from an old military term.
Fains! Fainits! Fain it! intj. (schoolboys’).—A call for truce during
the progress of a game without which priority or place would be lost;
generally understood to be preferred ‘in bounds,’ or when out of
danger. [Thought to be a corruption of ‘fend.’]—See Bags!