Heading
of it a ferme (that is to say a hole) into which, upon any piece of service, when he goes a filching, he putteth a hooke of iron, with which hooke he angles at a window in the dead of night for shirts, smockes, or any other linen or woollen.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 49 (1874), s.v.; 1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
File, subs. (old). 1. A pickpocket.
Also file cloy or bung-nipper;
cf., Buttock. Fr., une poisse à
la détourne.
1754. Fielding, Jon. Wild, bk. IV., ch. xii. The greatest character among them was that of a pickpocket, or, in truer language, a file.
1837. C. Dickens, Oliver Twist, p. 123. You'll be a fine young cracksman afore the old file now.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon. The file is one who is generally accompanied by two others, one of whom is called the 'Adam tyler,' and the other the 'bulker,' or 'staller.' It is their business to jostle or 'ramp' the victim, while the file picks his pocket, and then hands the plunder to the 'Adam tyler,' who makes off with it.
2. (common).—A man: i.e., a cove (q.v.). Thus silent file (Fr., un lime sourde) = a dumb man; close-file = a miser, or a person not given to blabbing; Hard-file = a grasper (q.v.); old file = an elder; and so forth.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 54. He was one of the deepest files in London; indeed, he was 'awake' on every suit.
1836. C. Dickens, Pickwick Papers p. 360 (ed. 1857). 'Wot a perverse old file it is!' exclaimed Sam, 'always agoin' on about werdicks and alleybis, and that. Who said anysthings about the werdick?'
1837. C. Dickens, Oliver Twist, p. 233. The Dodger . . . desired the jailer to communicate the names of them two files as were on the bench.
1849. Thackeray, Hoggarty Diamond, ch. xi. 'You beat Brough; you do, by Jove! for he looks like a rogue—anybody would swear to him: but you! by Jove, you look the very picture of honesty!' 'A deep file,' said Aminadab, winking and pointing me out to his friend, Mr. Jehoshaphat.
1876. Besant and Rice, Golden Butterfly, ch. xiii. If you were not such a steady old file I should think you were in love with her.
Verb (old).—To pick pockets.
Filing-lay, subs. (thieves').—Pocket-picking.
[From file =
to steal from the person + lay =
business, occupation.
1754. Jon. Wild, bk. IV., ch. ii. I am committed for the filing-lay, man, and we shall be both nubbed together.
Filling at the Price, adv. phr.
(common).—Satisfying.
1870. London Figaro, 28 May. 'Penny Pleasures.' We believe that baked taturs are accepted as Penny Pleasures, and as being filling at the price.
Fill One's Pipe, verb. phr. (obsolete).—To
attain to easy circumstances.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 32. It has often been the subject of sincere regret that such persons, with very few exceptions, have lived just long enough, according to a vulgar phrase, to fill their pipe, and leave others to enjoy it.
Fill the Bill, verb. phr. (theatrical).—To
excel in conspicuousness:
as a star actor whose
name is 'billed' to the exclusion
of the rest of the company.
Hence, by implication, out of the
common run of things; e.g.
That fills the bill = 'that
takes the cake,' for a lie, an effect,
an appearance—anything.
Fill the Bin, verb. phr. (American).—To
be beyond question;
to come up to the mark; e.g.,
'Is the news reliable?' Yes, it
fills the bin. Cf., To Fill
the Bill.
