Heading
phrase in the early part of the sixties. [For suggested derivation cf., quot., 1890.]—See Street cries.
1863. All the Year Round, p. 180, col. 1. 'How's your poor feet?' a year ago cheated half the natives of Cockaigne into the belief that they were gifted with a special genius for repartee.
1890. Town and Country (Sydney), 11 Jan., p. 19, col. 4. Henry Irving's revival of 'The Dead Heart' has revived a bit of slang. . . . When the play was brought out originally, where one of the characters says, 'My heart is dead, dead, dead!' a voice from the gallery nearly broke up the drama with 'How are your poor feet?' The phrase lived.
To lie feet uppermost, verb. phr. (venery).—To 'take' a man.
Feet-Casements, subs. (common).—Boots
or shoes. For synonyms,
see Trotter-Cases.
Feeze [also Feaze, Feize, and
Pheeze], verb (old).—1. To copulate.
For synonyms, see Ride.
1612. Beaumont and Fletcher, The Coxcomb (q.v.).
2. (old).—To beat.
Feint, subs. (old).—A pawnbroker.
For synonyms, see My Uncle.
1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London, s.v.; 1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
Feker, subs. (American thieves').—Trade;
profession; cf., Feck.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
Fell a Bit on, verb. phr. (tailors').—To
act craftily; in an underhand
manner.
Fell-and-didn't, phr. (tailors').—Said
of a man walking lame.
Fellow.—See Old fellow.
Fellow-Commoner, subs. (university).—An
empty bottle. For
synonyms, see Dead man.
1794. Gent. Mag., p 1084. One [student at Cambridge] was a Harry Soph; another a fellow-commoner and senior Soph, and occasionally jocularly called an empty bottle, whilst è contrà, a bottle decanted was, from time to time, denominated a fellow-commoner.
Felt, subs. (old).—A hat of felted
wool. For synonyms, see Golgotha.
1609. Dekker, Gul's Horne-Booke, chap. iv. For, in my opinion, ye braine that cannot choose his Felt well (being the head ornament) must needes poure folly into all the rest of the members.
1614. J. Cooke, Green's Tu Quoque, in Anc. Brit. Drama (1810), ii., 567. Sir Lion. Aye, but son Bubble, where did you two buy your felts? Scat. Felts! by this light mine is a good beaver.
1823. W. T. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, Act ii., Sc. 5. Don't nibble the felt, Jerry.
1841. Thynne, Deb. between Pride and Lowliness. A faire cloke on his backe, and on his head a felt.
Fem.—See Famble.
Fen, subs. (thieves').—A prostitute
or procuress.—Grose [1785].
Verb (schoolboys').—(also Fend, Fain, Fainits, etc.). A term of warning, or of prohibition: as to prevent any change in the existing conditions of a game; e.g., at marbles, Fen-placings = no alteration in position of marbles is permissible; fen-clearances = removal of obstacles is forbidden. [Fend = M.E. defend in sense of 'to forbid.'] Fain, Fain I, (with which cf., Bags I) are corruptions. At Winchester, Fingy you or Fingy that are anala*
