bidden, what wonder is it that girls are now and then caught flirting with the butcher and the baker at the area railings?
Follow-me-lads, subs. phr.
(common).—Curls or ribands
hanging over the shoulder; cf.,
Fr., suivez-moi-jeune-homme =
ribbons flying behind a lady's
dress. Also Followers.
1872. Spectator. 'Follow-me-lads' are not in themselves very pretty, though, like any other fashion, they become the Princess, and they are exceedingly costly.
Follow on, subs. phr. and verb
(cricket).—A team eighty runs
behind the other in the first
innings is obliged to FOLLOW
ON; i.e., to take to the wickets
a second time. A run more,
and it SAVES THE FOLLOW ON.
1891. Pall Mall Gazette, 5 Aug. 'Notts. v. Surrey.' The game, with a possible prospect of the FOLLOW-ON, being saved.
Follow your nose! intj. phr.
(streets').—A retort on asking
the way. The full phrase is,
'Follow your nose, and you are
sure to go straight.'
1620. Percy, Folio MSS., p. 462. He went to the sea syde, and FFOLLOWED HIS NOSE.
1854. Notes and Queries, x., p. 66. In what collection of tales published in 1834 shall I find the tale entitled FOLLOW YOUR NOSE?
Foo-foo, subs. (American).—A
person of no account; an insignificant
idiot; a POOP (q.v.).
1837. A Glance at New York (in Bartlett). Don't know what a FOO-FOO is? Well, as you're a greenhorn, I'll enlighten you. A FOO-FOO, or an outsider, is a chap that can't come the big figure.
Fool, subs. (colloquial.)—A dish of
gooseberries, boiled with sugar
and milk. [Fr., groseilles en
foule.] Also, a GULL (q.v.).
1719. Durfey, Pills, etc., III., 9. 'Praise of the Dairy Maid.' A lady, I heard tell, Not far off did dwell, Made her husband a FOOL, and it pleased him quite well.
1774. Goldsmith, Retaliation. And by the same rule, Magnanimous Goldsmith's a gooseberry FOOL.
No Fool, subs. phr. (American colloquial).—A phrase laudatory, applied to neuter nouns. Cf., No Slouch.
1848. Jones, Sketches of Travel, p. 33. I tell you what, Charlston ain't no FOOL of a city.
To make a fool of, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To delude. Specifically (venery), to cuckold, or to seduce under promise of marriage.
To fool about (or AROUND), verb. phr. (American).—To dawdle; to trifle with; to be infatuated with; to hang about; to defraud.
1837. A Glance at New York. Mose—Now look a-here, Liz,—I go in for Bill Sykes, 'cause he runs wid our machine; but he musn't come FOOLIN' ROUND my gal, or I'll give him fits.
1884. Hawley Smart, Post to Finish, ch. xvii. From what I hear, you came to Riddleton, FOOLING after my daughter. Now, I'll have no caterwauling of that sort.
1891. Gunter, Miss Nobody of No-*where, p. 124. I should think you had too much ed-u-cash to FOOL ABOUT such a going on.
Fool-finder, subs. (obsolete).—A
bum-bailiff.—Grose.
Foolish, adj. (prostitutes')—Said
of a man that pays. 'Is he
FLASH (q.v.) or FOOLISH = Is he
the cully or the other.'—Grose.
Fool-monger, subs. (colloquial).— A person, male or female, living by their wits, e.g., a PROMOTER (q.v.); a betting-man; a swindler. Also Fool-catcher and Fool-trap (q.v.).
