their living upon the cross, are comprehended under the title of “The Family.”
FAMILY-MAN, or WOMAN, any person known or recognised as belonging to the family; all such are termed family people.
FANCY, any article universally admired for its beauty, or which the owner sets particular store by, is termed a fancy article; as, a fancy clout, is a favourite handkerchief, &c.; so a woman who is the particular favourite of any man, is termed his fancy woman, and vice versâ.
FAWNEY, a finger-ring.
FAWNIED, or FAWNEY-FAM’D, having one or more rings on the finger.
FEEDER, a spoon.
FENCE, a receiver of stolen goods; to fence any property, is to sell it to a receiver or other person.
FIB, a stick. To fib is to beat with a stick; also to box.
FIBBING-GLOAK, a pugilist.
FIBBING-MATCH, a boxing match.
FILE, a person who has had a long course of experience in the arts of fraud, so as to have become an adept, is termed an old file upon the town; so it is usual to say of a man who is extremely cunning, and not to be over-reached, that he is a deep file. File, in the old version of cant, signified a pickpocket, but the term is now obsolete.
FINGER-SMITH, a midwife.
FI’PENNY: a clasp-knife.
FLASH, the cant language used by the family. To speak good flash is to be well versed in cant terms.
FLASH, a person who affects any peculiar habit, as
