Heading
knew what was coming, the skilled fist of the Professor had planted such a facer as did not require repetition.
1868. C. Reade, Foul Play, ch. ii. This was followed by a quick succession of staggering facers, administered right and left, on the eyes and noses of the subordinates.
2. (common).—A sudden check; 'a spoke in one's wheel.' [By implication from sense 1.]
1860. Thackeray, Philip, ch. xl. In the battle of life every man must meet with a blow or two, and every brave one would take his facer with good humour.
1869. Whyte Melville, M. or N., p. 189. Dick Stanmore took his punishment with true British pluck and pertinacity. It was a facer.
3. (Irish).—A dram.
4. (old).—A bumper. [Grose, 1785.]
5. (common).—A tumbler of whiskey punch.
6. (American thieves').—An accomplice; a stall (q.v.) or fence (q.v.).
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
1881. New York Slang Dict., s.v.
Facey, subs. (tailors').—A fellow
workman vis-à-vis. Facey on
the bias = one in front either to
right or left; Facey on the two
thick = one working immediately
behind one's opposite.
Facings.—To be put, or go,
through one's facings, verb.
phr. (popular).—To be called to
account or scolded; to exemplify
capacity; to 'show off.' [Military.]
Silk-facings, subs. (tailors').—Stains upon work caused by droppings of beer. [In allusion to the 'watered' silk trimmings in front of a regimental jacket or coat.]
Fad-cattle, subs. (old).—Easy
women. For synonyms, see
Barrack-hack and Tart. [Cf.,
Faddle = to toy + cattle
(q.v.).]
Faddist (also Fadmonger), subs.
(colloquial).—A person (male or
female) devoted to the pursuit of
public fads: as 'social purity,'
moral art, free-trade in syphilis,
and so-forth.
Faddle, verb (obsolete).—To toy
or trifle: as a subs. = a busybody;
a 'nancified' affected male.
Also Faddy = full of fads.
Fadge, subs. (common).—A farthing.
English Synonyms.—Fiddler; farden; gig, or grig; quartereen.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, p. 178, s.v.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London, s.v.
Verb (old).—To suit; to fit; to agree with; to come off. [A.S., fégan, fégean, to join, to fit. Nares says, 'probably never better than a low word: it is now confined to the streets.']
1593. Nashe, 4 Lett. Conf., in wks. (Grosart) II., 215. They haue broght in a new kind of a quicke sight, which your decrepite slow-mouing capacitie cannot fadge with.
1594. Shakspeare, Love's Labour Lost, V., i., 154. We will haue, if this fadge not, an Antique.
1599. Massinger, Old Law, IV., ii. Clean. My Lord! Sim. Now it begins to fadge.