1853. Diogenes, II., 195. Champagne is fillupey, so is Auber’s
music.
Filly, subs. (common).—A girl; specifically a wanton. Among thieves, a
daughter.
1668. Etherege, She Would if She Could, II., ii. (1704), p. 112. I
told you they were a couple of skittish fillies, but I never knew
’em boggle at a man before.
1846. Thackeray, V. Fair, ch. xi. Well, I heard him say, ‘By jove,
she’s a neat little filly!’ meaning your humble servant, and he did
me the honour to dance two country dances with me.
Filly-hunting, subs. (venery).—Questing adventures; grousing (q.v.).
Filth, subs. (old venery).—A prostitute.
1602. Shakspeare, Othello, v., 2. Iago, Filth, thou liest!
1609. Shakspeare, Timon of Athens, iv., 1. To general filths
Convert, o’ the instant, green virginity.
Fimble-Famble, subs. (common).—A lame excuse; a prevaricating answer.
Fin, subs. (common).—1. The arm; also the hand. [Fr., nageoire, but for
synonyms, see Daddle. To tip the fin = to shake hands.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Fin, an arm.
1836. Michael Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 116. I wagged my head
at this one, and nodded to another, and salaam’d with my fins with
all the grace of a wounded turtle, to a third.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xxxvii., p. 323. ‘Smauker, my lad,
your fin,’ said the gentleman with the cocked hat. Mr. Smauker
dovetailed the top joint of his right hand little finger into that
of the gentleman with the cocked hat, and said he was charmed to
see him looking so well.
1844. Puck, p. 134. The sun shines fair in Carey Street, And eke in
Lincoln’s Inn, When Brown and Johnson gaily meet And shake the
friendly fin.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. lv. The young surgeon ... succeeded
in getting the General’s dirty old hand under what he called his
own fin.
1850. F. Smedley, Frank Fairleigh, p. 152. I’ll drive you there
instead; it will be better for your scorched fin (pointing to my
injured arm), than jolting about outside a horse.