Part 30 (2/2)

FOUL-MOUTHED. Abusive.

FOUNDLING. A child dropped in the streets, and found, and educated at the parish expence.

FOUSIL. The name of a public house, where the Eccentrics a.s.semble in May's Buildings, St. Martin's Lane.

Fox. A sharp, cunning fellow. Also an old term for a sword, probably a rusty one, or else from its being dyed red with blood; some say this name alluded to certain swords of remarkable good temper, or metal, marked with the figure of a fox, probably the sign, or rebus, of the maker.

FOX'S PAW. The vulgar p.r.o.nunciation of the French words faux pas. He made a confounded fox's paw.

FOXED. Intoxicated.

FOXEY. Rank. Stinking.

FOXING A BOOT. Mending the foot by capping it.

FOYST. A pickpocket, cheat, or rogue. See WOTTON'S GANG.

TO FOYST. To pick a pocket.

FOYSTED IN. Words or pa.s.sages surrept.i.tiously interpolated or inserted into a book or writing.

FRATERS. Vagabonds who beg with sham patents, or briefs, for hospitals, fires, inundations, &c.

FREE. Free of fumblers hall; a saying of one who cannot get his wife with child.

FREE AND EASY JOHNS. A society which meet at the Hole in the Wall, Fleet-street, to tipple porter, and sing bawdry.

FREE BOOTERS. Lawless robbers and plunderers: originally soldiers who served without pay, for the privilege of plundering the enemy.

FREEHOLDER. He whose wife accompanies him to the alehouse.

FREEMAN'S QUAY. Free of expence. To lush at Freeman's Quay; to drink at another's cost.

FREEZE. A thin, small, hard cider, much used by vintners and coopers in parting their wines, to lower the price of them, and to advance their gain. A freezing vintner; a vintner who balderdashes his wine.

FRENCH CREAM. Brandy; so called by the old tabbies and dowagers when drank in their tea.

FRENCH DISEASE. The venereal disease, said to have been imported from France. French gout; the same. He suffered by a blow over the snout with a French f.a.ggot-stick; i.e. he lost his nose by the pox.

FRENCH LEAVE. To take French leave; to go off without taking leave of the company: a saying frequently applied to persons who have run away from their creditors.

FRENCHIFIED. Infected with the venereal disease. The mort is Frenchified: the wench is infected.

FRESH MILK. Cambridge new comers to the university.

FRESHMAN. One just entered a member of the university.

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