d. 1536. Tyndale, Workes, p. 148. Oh, foxy Pharisay, that is thy leuen, of which Christ so diligently bad vs beware.
1849. Dickens, David Copperfield, ch. xlix., p. 429 Whatever his state of health may be his appearance is foxy, not to say diabolical.
3. (American cobblers').—Repaired with new toe-caps. See Fox, verb, sense 8.
1877. M. Twain, Life on the Mississippi, ch. lvii., p. 503. It was the scarecrow Dean—in foxy shoes, down at the heels; socks of odd colours, also 'down.'
4. (booksellers').—A term applied to prints and books discoloured by damp; see Fox, verb, sense 6.
5. (painters': obsolete).—Inclined to reddishness.
d. 1792. Sir J. Reynolds, Notes on Dufresnoy. That (style) of Titian, which may be called the Golden manner, when unskilfully managed, becomes what the painters call foxy.
6. (common).—Strong-smelling. Said of a red-haired man or woman.
Foy, subs. (old).—A cheat; a
swindle.
1615. Greene, Thieves Falling Out. You be crossbites, foys, and nips.
Foyl-cloy, subs. (old).—A pick-*pocket;
a rogue—B. E. [1690].
Foyst, subs. and verb. See Foist.
Foyster. See Foister.
Fraggle, verb. (Texas).—To rob.
Fragment, subs. (Winchester
College).—A dinner for six
(served in College Hall, after the
ordinary dinner), ordered by a
Fellow in favour of a particular
boy, who was at liberty to invite
five others to join him. Obs. A
fragment was supposed to consist
of three dishes.—Winchester
Word-book [1891].
Framer, subs. (American thieves').—A
shawl.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
Frater, subs. (old).—A beggar
working with a false petition.
1567. Harman, Caveat, s.v. Frater, a beggar wyth a false paper.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar's Bush, ii., 1. And these what name or title e'er they bear, Jarkman, or Patrico, Cranke, or Clapper-dudgeon, Frater, or Abramman, I speak to all That stand in fair election for the title Of king of beggars.
1791. Life of Bamfylde Moore-Carew. 'Oath of Canting Crew.' Rogue or rascal, frater, maunderer, Irish toyle, or other wanderer.
Fraud, subs. (colloquial).—A
failure; anything or body disappointing
expectation; e.g., an
acquaintance, a picture, a book,
a play, a picture, a bottle of wine.
Actual dishonesty is not necessarily
implied.
1882. Punch, LXXXII., p. 177, col. 1. A fraud, Charlie!
Fraze. See Vessel.
Freak, subs. (American showmen's).
A living curiosity: as
the Siamese Twins, the Two-headed
Nightingale. [Short for
'freak of nature.']
Free, adj. (Oxford University).—Impudent;
self-possessed.
1864. Tennyson, Northern Farmer, (Old Style), line 25.—But parson a coomes an' a goos, an' a says it eäsy an' freeä.
Verb. (old).—To steal; cf., annex and convey. For synonyms, see Prig.
