1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Repr., 1874),
s.v.
Subs. (old).—A thief. [From the verb.] Also Filcher (q.v.). For
synonyms, see Area-sneak.
1810. Poole, Hamlet Travestie, II., iii. A very filch, that more
deserves to hang, Than any one of the light-finger’d gang.
Filcher or Filch (q.v.). subs. (Old Cant: now recognised). A thief.
[From filch (q.v.) = to steal + er.] For synonyms, see Area-sneak and
Thieves.
1580. Tusser, Husbandrie, ch. 10, st. 54, p. 25 (E.D.S.).
Purloiners and filchers, that loveth to lurke.
1596. Jonson, Every man in his Humour, IV., ix. How now, Signior
Gull! are you turned filcher of late? Come, deliver my cloak.
1636. Davenant, The Wits, Act. V., The old blade Skulks there like
a tame filcher, as he had New stolen ’bove eggs from market-women,
Robb’d an orchard, or a cheese-loft.
1887. J. W. Ebsworth, Cavalier Lyrics (In Alsatia, etc.). Filchers,
who grabble at other folks’ chink.
Filchman or Filch, subs. (old).—A thief’s hooked staff used as
described in quot., 1632.
1567. Frat. of Vacabondes, p. 3. The trunchion of a staffe, which
staffe they cal a filtchman.
1589. Nashe, Countercuffe to Martin Junior, in wks., vol. I., p.
80. Pasquill met him ... with a Hatte like a sawcer vppon hys
crowne, a Filch-man in his hande.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Repr., 1874),
s.v.
1632–48. Dekker, English Villanies. He carries a short staff in his
hand, which is called a filch, having in the nab or head of it a
ferme (that is to say a hole) into which, upon any piece of
service, when he goes a filching, he putteth a hooke of iron, with
which hooke he angles at a window in the dead of night for shirts,
smockes, or any other linen or woollen.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 49 (1874), s.v.;
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
File, subs. (old). 1. A pickpocket. Also file cloy or bung-nipper; cf.,
Buttock. Fr., une poisse à la détourne.
1754. Fielding, Jon. Wild, bk. IV., ch. xii. The greatest character
among them was that of a pickpocket, or, in truer language, a file.
1837. C. Dickens, Oliver Twist, p. 123. You’ll be a fine young
cracksman afore the old file now.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue’s Lexicon. The file is one who
is generally accompanied by two others, one of whom is called the
‘Adam tyler,’ and the other the ‘bulker,’ or ‘staller.’ It is their
business to jostle or ‘ramp’ the victim, while the file picks his
pocket, and then hands the plunder to the ‘Adam tyler,’ who makes
off with it.
2. (common).—A man: i.e., a cove (q.v.). Thus silent file (Fr., un lime
sourde) = a dumb man; close-file = a miser, or a person not given to
blabbing; Hard-file = a grasper (q.v.); old file = an elder; and so
forth.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 54. He was one of the
deepest files in London; indeed, he was ‘awake’ on every suit.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers, p. 360 (ed. 1857). ‘Wot a
perverse old file it is!’ exclaimed Sam, ‘always agoin’ on about
werdicks and alleybis, and that. Who said anysthings about the
werdick?’
1837. C. Dickens, Oliver Twist, p. 233. The Dodger ... desired the
jailer to communicate the names of them two files as were on the
bench.
1849. Thackeray, Hoggarty Diamond, ch. xi. ‘You beat Brough; you
do, by Jove! for he looks like a rogue—anybody would swear to him:
but you! by Jove, you look the very picture of honesty!’ ‘A deep
file,’ said Aminadab, winking and pointing me out to his friend,
Mr. Jehoshaphat.
1876. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly, ch. xiii. If you were not
such a steady old file I should think you were in love with her.
Verb (old).—To pick pockets.
Filing-lay, subs. (thieves’).—Pocket-picking. [From file = to steal
from the person + lay = business, occupation.]
1754. Jon. Wild, bk. IV., ch. ii. I am committed for the
filing-lay, man, and we shall be both nubbed together.
Filling at the Price, adv. phr. (common).—Satisfying.
1870. London Figaro, 28 May. ‘Penny Pleasures.’ We believe that
baked taturs are accepted as Penny Pleasures, and as being filling
at the price.
Fill One’s Pipe, verb. phr. (obsolete).—To attain to easy
circumstances.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 32. It has often been
the subject of sincere regret that such persons, with very few
exceptions, have lived just long enough, according to a vulgar
phrase, to fill their pipe, and leave others to enjoy it.
Fill the Bill, verb. phr. (theatrical).—To excel in conspicuousness: as
a star actor whose name is ‘billed’ to the exclusion of the rest of the
company. Hence, by implication, out of the common run of things; e.g.,
That fills the bill = ‘that takes the cake,’ for a lie, an effect, an
appearance—anything.
Fill the Bin, verb. phr. (American).—To be beyond question; to come up
to the mark; e.g., ‘Is the news reliable?’ Yes, it fills the bin. Cf.,
To Fill the Bill.
1862. Speech of W. G. Brownlow of Tenn. in N. Y. Herald, 16 May.
‘Sir,’ said he,—and he [W. L. Yancey] is a beautiful speaker and
personally a very fine-looking man,—‘are you the celebrated Parson
Brownlow?’ ‘I’m the only man on earth,’ I replied, ‘that fills the
bin.’