Adj. (colloquial).—Trifling; trivial; fussing with nothing.
b. 1667, d. 1745. Swift [quoted in ‘Annandale’]. Good cooks cannot
abide what they call fiddling work.
1802. C. K. Sharpe, in Correspondence (1888), i., 152. He is a
mighty neat, pretty little, fiddling fellow, and exceedingly finely
bred.
1880. Hawley Smart, Social Sinners, ch. xiii. I will look in at
that time, and trust to find you have settled all these fiddling
preliminaries.
Fid-fad, subs. (old).—A contracted form of fiddle-faddle (q.v.); also
applied to persons.
1754. The World, No. 95. The youngest, who thinks in her heart that
her sister is no better than a slattern, runs into the contrary
extreme, and is, in everything she does, an absolute fidfad.
1874. E. L. Linton, Patricia Kemball, ch. xvi. The fidfads, called
improvements, which were not wanted and seldom properly managed.
Fidlam-Bens or Coves, subs. (thieves’).—Thieves who steal anything they
can lay hands on. Also St. Peter’s Sons.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Fie-for-shame, subs. phr. (schoolgirls’).—The female pudendum. For
synonyms, see Monosyllable.
Field. To chop the field, verb. phr. (racing).—To win easily [Field =
the horses taking part in a race.]
Fielder, subs. (betting).—A backer of the field [i.e., the ruck (q.v.).
as against the favorite]. At cricket, a player in the field as against
the team at the wickets.
1853. Wh. Melville, Digby Grand, ch. vi. I accommodate a vociferous
fielder with 6 to 4 in hundreds as my concluding stake.
1883. Graphic, 11 August, p. 138, col. 2. As a batter, bowler, and
fielder combined ... he has yet no equal.
Field-lane Duck, subs. phr. (common).—A baked sheep’s head.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London, s.v.
Fient, intj. phr. (Scots colloquial).—An expression of negation: e.g.,
fient a hair care I = Devil a hair I care.
Fieri Facias. To have been served with a writ of fieri facias, verb.
phr. (legal).—Said of a red-nosed man. [A play upon words.]
1594. Nashe, Unf. Traveller, in wks. v., 44. Should I tell you how
many pursenants with red noses, and sargeants with precious faces,
shrunke away in this sweat, you would not belieue me ... a
pursenant or a sargeant at this present, with the verie reflexe of
his firie facias, was able to spoile a man a farre of.
1608. Penniles Parl, in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), I., 182. They that
drink too much Spanish sack, shall, about July, be served with a
fiery faces.
1663. Dryden, Wild Gallant, Act ii. Vour. You are very smart upon
one another, gentlemen. Fail. This is nothing between us; I was to
tell him of his title, fiery facias; and his setting dog, that runs
into ale-houses before him.
Fiery Lot, subs. phr. (common).—Fast (q.v.); rollicking; applied to a
hot member (q.v.).
Fiery Snorter, subs. phr. (common).—A red nose.
Fifer, subs. (tailors’).—1. A waistcoat ‘hand.’
2. (Scots’ colloquial).—A native of the Kingdom (q.v.), i.e., the
county of Fife.
Fi-fi or fie-fie, adj. (common).—Indecent; ‘blue’ or ‘smutty.’ [From
Fie = an exclamation signifying contempt, impatience, or disapproval.]
A Thackerayean term.
1861. A. Trollope, Framley Parsonage, ch. vi. And then Mrs. Proudie
began her story about Mr. Slope, or rather recommenced it. She was
very fond of talking about this gentleman who had once been her pet
chaplain, but was now her bitterest foe; and, in telling the story,
she had sometimes to whisper to Miss Dunstable, for there were one
or two fie-fie little anecdotes about a married lady, not
altogether fit for young Mr. Robart’s ears.
1874. M. Collins, Frances, ch. xviii. Flood was a gay bachelor,
with a few fie-fie stories floating through club atmosphere about
him.
Fifteener, subs. (bibliographical).—A book printed in the 15th century.
1890. ‘Grangerising’ in Cornhill Mag., Feb., p. 139. Some of them
torn from fifteeners, or ‘incurables,’ books of the fathers of
printing.
Fifth Rib. To hit, dig, or poke one under the fifth rib, verb. phr.
(common).—To deliver a heavy blow; to dumbfound.
1890. Globe, 26 Feb., p. 1, col. 5. It strikes the man who has been
dallying with strange tailors ... under the fifth rib.
Fig, subs. (colloquial).—1. A gesture of contempt made by thrusting
forth the thumb between the fore and middle fingers: whence the
expression ‘I do not care, or would not give, a fig for you.’ Fr., je
ne voudrais pas en donner un ferret d’aiguillette. Cf., Care, and for
other similes of worthlessness, see Curse, Straw, Rush, Chip, Cent,
Dam, etc. [Italian: When the Milanese revolted against the Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa, they set his Empress hind before upon a mule, and
thus expelled her. Frederick afterwards besieged and took the city, and
compelled all his prisoners, on pain of death, to extract with his (or
her) teeth a fig from the fundament of a mule and, the thing being
done, to say in announcement, ‘ecco la fica.’ Thus far la fica became
an universal mode of derision. Fr., faire la figue; Ger., die Feigen
weisen; It., far le fiche; Dutch, De vÿghe setten.
1599. Shakspeare, Henry V., iii., 6. Pistol. Die and be damned and
fico for thy friendship. Fluellen. It is well. Pistol. The fig of
Spain.
1610. Ben Jonson, The Alchemist, i. 1. Subtle. What to do? Lick
figs out of mine arse.
1821. Pierce Egan, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1890], p. 106. A fig for each
bum.
1861. T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. vi. A fig for Poll Ady
and fat Sukey Wimble; I now could jump over the steeple so nimble;
With joy I be ready to cry.
1882. Punch, vol. LXXXII., p. 185, col. 2 (q.v.).
2. (common).—Dress. [From Fig, verb. sense = that which shows off a man
or woman, as a fig of ginger shows off a horse. Cf., quot., 1819, in
Fig up.] In full fig = in full dress.
1861. T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. i. He waits on me in
hall, where we go in full fig of cap and gown at five, and get very
good dinners, and cheap enough.
1873. Cassell’s Magazine, Jan., p. 246, col. 2. ‘London Cured.’
They are rather prone to dress flashily, and wear when in full fig
no end of jewellery.