Flea. To send away with a flea in the ear. verb. phr. (common).—To dismiss with vigour and acerbity.
1854. Notes and Queries, 8 Apl., p. 322, col. 2. The luckless applicant is peremptorily dismissed with an imperative 'flee!' . . . or, facetiously, with a flee in his ear.
To have a flea in the ear = (1) to fail in an enterprise; and (2) to receive a scolding, or annoying suggestion.
To sit on a bag of fleas, verb. phr. (common).—To sit uncomfortably; on a bag of hen fleas = very uncomfortably indeed.
To catch fleas for, verb. phr. (venery).—To be on terms of extreme intimacy: e.g., 'I catch her fleas for her' = She has nothing to refuse me. Cf., Shakspeare (Tempest, III., 2.), 'Yet a tailor might scratch her wheree'er she did itch.'
In a flea's leap, adv. phr. (old).—In next to no time; instanter (q.v.).
Flea-and-louse, subs. (rhyming
slang). A house. For synonyms,
see Ken.
Flea-bag, subs. (common).—A
bed; Fr. un pucier. For synonyms,
see Kip.
1839. Lever, Harry Lorrequer, ch. xl. 'Troth, and I think the gentleman would be better if he went off to his flea-bag himself.'
Flea-bite, subs. (old).—A trifle.
1630. Taylor, Works. If they doe lose by pirates, tempests, rocks, 'Tis but a fleabite to their wealthy stockes; Whilst the poore cutpurse day and night doth toile, Watches and wardes, and doth himselfe turmoile.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
Flea-biting, subs. (old).—A trifle.
1621. Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy. Their miseries are but flea bitings to thine.
Flea- (or Flay-) Flint, subs.
(old.)—A miser: Cf., Skin
flint (q.v.).
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., i., 141 The flea-flints . . . strip me bare.
Flear, verb. (old).—To grin. A
flearing fool = a grinning
idiot.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew.
Fleece, subs. (old).—An act of
theft. Cf., old proverb, 'to go out
to shear and come home shorn.'
For synonyms, see Skin.
1690. B. E., New Dict. of the Canting Crew. Fleece, to Rob, Plunder, or strip.
1703. Mrs. Centlivre, Beau's Duel, ii., 2. Had a fleece at his purse.
2. (venery).—The female pubic hair. Fr. toison (Baudelaire); It., barbiglioni (Florio). For foreign synonyms, see Mott.
English Synonyms.—Banner (Durfey); bandoliers (old); beard; bearskin; belly-bristles; belly-thicket; belly-whiskers; Boskage of Venus; broom; brush; bush; cat-skin; clover-*field; cunny-skin (Durfey); Cupid's Arbour; cunt-curtain; damber-, dilberry-, gooseberry-, furze-, quim-, or whin-bush; down; Downshire; front-door-*mat; feather (Prior and Moore); fluff; forest (Donne); fud (Burns); fur; fur-below (old catch); 'grove of eglantine' (Carew); hedge on
