FIDDLER, a sixpence.-Household Words, No. 183. FIDDLER, a sharper, a cheat; also one who dawdles over little matters, and neglects great ones. FIDDLERS' GREEN, the place where sailors go to when they die. It is a place of fiddling, dancing, rum, and tobacco, and is undoubtedly the LAND OF COCAIGNE, mentioned in mediæval manuscripts. FIDDLERS' MONEY, a lot of sixpences; 6d. was the remuneration to fiddlers from each of the company in old times. FIDDLE STICKS! an exclamation signifying nonsense. FIDDLING, doing any odd jobs in the streets, holding horses, carrying parcels, &c., for a living. Among the middle classes, FIDDLING means idling away time, or trifling; and amongst sharpers, it means gambling. FID FAD, a game similar to chequers, or drafts, played in the West of England. FIELD-LANE DUCK, a baked sheep's-head. Field Lane is a low London thoroughfare, leading from the foot of Holborn Hill to the purlieus of Clerkenwell. It was formerly the market for stolen pocket-handkerchiefs. FIERA-FACIAS, a red-faced man is often jocularly said to have been served with a writ of FIERI-FACIAS. FI-FA, a writ of Fiera-Facias.-Legal. FI-FI, Mr Thackeray's term for Paul de Kock's novels, and similar modern French literature. FIG, "in full FIG," i.e., full-dress costume, "extensively got up." Possibly an allusion to the primeval dress of our first parents, or else an abbreviation of figure, in the references to plates in books of fashions. FIG, “to FIG a horse," to play improper tricks with one in order to make him lively. FIGARO, a barber. FIGURE, “to cut a good or bad FIGURE," to make a good or indifferent appearance; "what's the FIGURE?" how much is to pay? FIGUREHEAD, a person's face.-Sea term. FILCH, to steal, or purloin. Originally a Cant word, derived from the FILCHES, or hooks, thieves used to carry, to hook clothes, or any portable articles from open windows.-Vide Decker. It was considered a Cant or Gipsy term up to the beginning of the last century. Harman has "FYLCHE, to robbe." FILE, a deep or artful man, a jocose name for a cunning person. Originally a term for a pickpocket, when TO FILE was to cheat or rob. FILE, an artful man, was used in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. FILLIBRUSH, to flatter, praise ironically. FIMBLE-FAMBLE, a lame, prevaricating excuse.—Scandinavian. FIDLUM BEN, thieves who take anything they can lay their hands upon. FIN, a hand; come, tip us your FIN," viz., let us shake hands.-Sea. FISH, a person; 39 66 a queer FISH," a loose FISH," &c. FISHY, doubtful, unsound, rotten-a term used to denote a suspicion of a "screw being loose," or "something rotten in the state of Denmark," in alluding to an unsafe speculation. FIVES, "bunch of FIVES," the fist. 66 FIVE FINGERS, the five of trumps, at the game of Five-cards, or Don. FIX, a predicament, dilemma; an awful FIX," a terrible position; "to FIX one's flint for him," i.e., to "settle his hash," "put a spoke in his wheel." FIZ, champagne, wine. FIZZING, first-rate, very good, excellent; synonymous with STUNNING. FLABERGAST, or FLABBERGHAST, to astonish, or strike with wonder.Old. FLAG, a groat, or 4d.-Ancient Cant. FLAG, an apron. FLAG-OF-DISTRESS, poverty; when the end of a person's shirt protrudes through his trousers.-Seven Dials wit. FLAM, nonsense, blarney, a lie.-Kentish; Anglo-Saxon. FLANNEL, or HOT FLANNEL, the old term for gin and beer, drunk hot, with nutmeg, sugar, &c. Also called FLIP. There is an anecdote told of Goldsmith helping to drink a quart of FLANNEL in a night house, in company with George Parker, Ned Shuter, and a demure, gravelooking gentleman, who continually introduced the words CRAP, STRETCH, SCRAG, and SWING. Upon the Doctor's asking who this strange person might be, and being told his profession, he rushed from the place in a frenzy, exclaiming, "Good God! and have I been sitting all this while with a hangman?" FLARE UP, a jovial social gathering, a "break down," a "row." FLASH, showy, smart, knowing; a word with various meanings. A person is said to be dressed FLASH when his garb is showy, and after a fashion, but without taste. A person is said to be FLASH when he apes the appearance or manners of his betters, or when he is trying to be superior to his friends and relations. FLASH also means "fast," roguish, and sometimes infers counterfeit or deceptive,—and this, perhaps, is its general signification. "FLASH, my young friend, or Slang, as others call it, is the classical language of the Holy Land; in other FINDER, one who FINDS bacon and meat at the market before they are lost, i.e., steals them. FLAM, a ring. words, St Giles's Greek."-Tom and Jerry, by Moncreiff Vulgar language was first termed FLASH in the year 1718, by Hitchin, author of "The Regulator of Thieves, &c., with account of FLASH words." FLASH IT, show it said when any bargain is offered. FLASH-O'-LIGHTNING, the gold band on an officer's cap.-Sea. FLATS, playing cards. Also called BROADS. FLATTY, a rustic, or uninitiated person. FLAT-FEET, the battalion companies in the Foot Guards. FLEMISH ACCOUNT.-Old. Still used by sailors for a tangled and unsatisfactory account or reckoning. FLESH-AND-BLOOD, brandy and port in equal quantities. FLESH-BAG, a shirt. FLICK, or OLD FLICK, a comical old chap or fellow. FLICK, or FLIG, to whip by striking, and drawing the lash back at the same time, which causes a stinging blow. FLIES, trickery, nonsense. "There are no FLIES about me, sir." Connected with FLY, wide-awake, &c. FLIM-FLAM, an idle story.-Beaumont and Fletcher. FLIMSY, a bank-note. See the following. FLIMSY, the thin prepared copying-paper used by newspaper reporters and "penny-a-liners" for making several copies at once, thus enabling them to supply different papers with the same article without loss of time.- Printer's term. FLINT, an operative who works for a "society" master, i.e., for full wages. FLIP, corruption of FILLIP, a light blow. FLIPPER, the hand; "give us your FLIPPER," give me your hand.-Sea. Metaphor taken from the flipper or paddle of a turtle. FLOATER, a small suet dumpling put into soup.-Whitechapel. FLOG, to whip. Cited both by Grose and the author of Bacchus and Venus as a Cant word. It would be curious to ascertain the earliest use; Richardson cites Lord Chesterfield.-Latin. FLATTY-KEN, a public-house, the landlord of which is ignorant of the practices of the thieves and tramps who frequent it. FLIMP, to hustle, or rob. FLIP-FLAPS, a peculiar rollicking dance indulged in by costermongers when merry or excited-better described, perhaps, as the DOUBLE SHUFFLE, danced with an air of extreme abandon. Originally a kind of somersault, in which the performer throws himself over on his hands and feet alternately.-Showman's Slang. FLOATING ACADEMY, the hulks. FLOGGER, a whip.-Almost obsolete: FLOOR, to knock down.-Pugilistic. FLOORED, when a picture is hung on the lowest row at the Exhibition of the Royal Academy, it is in artistic Slang said to be FLOORED, in contra-distinction to SKYED, which see. FLOORER, a blow sufficiently strong to knock a man down. FLOP, plump; "to go FLOP down," to fall suddenly, and with violence and noise. FLOWERY, lodging, or house entertainment; "; square the omee for the FLOWERY," pay the master for the lodging.-Lingua Franca. FLUE-FAKER, a chimney-sweep; also applied to low sporting characters, who are so termed from their chiefly betting on the Great Sweeps. FLUFF IT, a term of disapprobation, implying "take it away, I don't want it." FLUKE, at billiards, playing for one thing and getting another. Hence, generally what one gets accidentally, an unexpected advantage, "more by luck than wit." FLUMMERY, flattery, gammon, genteel nonsense. FLUMMUX, to perplex, hinder; FLUMMUXED, stopped, used up. FLUSH, the opposite of HARD UP, in possession of money, not povertystricken.-Shakspeare. FLUSH, to whip; 'FLUSHED on the horse," to be privately whipped in jail. FLY, knowing, wide-awake, fully understanding another's meaning. FLY, to lift, toss, or raise; FLY the mags," i.e., toss up the halfpence; "to FLY a window," i.e., to lift one for the purpose of stealing. "FLY THE KITE," or RAISE THE WIND," to obtain money on bills, whether good or bad, alluding to tossing paper about as children do a kite. 66 "FLY THE KITE," to evacuate from a window,-term used in paddingkens, or low lodging-houses. FLYING-MARE, a throw in wrestling. FLYING-MESS, "to be in FLYING MESS is a soldier's phrase for being hungry and having to mess where he can.―Military. FLYING STATIONER, a paper-worker, hawker of penny ballads; "Printed for the Flying Stationers" is the imprimatur on hundreds of penny histories and sheet songs of the last and present centuries. FLUMMUXED, done up, sure of a month in QUOD, or prison. In mendicant freemasonry, the sign chalked by rogues and tramps upon a gate-post or house corner, to express to succeeding vagabonds that it is unsafe for them to call there, is known as O, or FLUMMUXED, which signifies that the only thing they would be likely to get upon applying for relief would be a "month in QUOD."-See QUOD. FLYMY, knowing, cunning, roguish.-Seven Dials and Low Life. Grose says it is a nickname for an invalid soldier, from the French, FOGGY, tipsy. FOGLE, a silk handkerchief-not a CLOUT, which is of cotton. It has been hinted that this may have come from the German, VOGEL, a bird, from the bird's-eye spots on some handkerchiefs, [see BIRD'S-EYE-WIPE under BILLY,] but a more probable derivation is the Italian Slang (Fourbesque), FOGLIA, a pocket, or purse; or from the French Argot, FOUILLE, also a pocket. FOGUS, tobacco.-Ancient Cant. FoGo, old word for stench. FOONT, a sovereign, or 20s. FOOTING, "to pay FOOTING."-See SHOE. FORAKERS, the closet of decency, or house of office.-Term used by the boys at Winchester school. FORK OUT, to bring out one's money, to pay the bill, to "stand for" or treat a friend; to hand over what does not belong to you.-Old Cant term for picking pockets, and very curious it is to trace its origin. In the early part of the last century, a little book was published on purloining, and of course it had to give the latest modes. FORKING Was the newest mode, and it consisted in thrusting the fingers stiff and open into the pocket, and then quickly closing them and extracting any article thus caught. FORKS, or GRAPPLING-IRONS, fingers. FORTY-FOOT, a derisive appellation for a very short person. FORTY-GUTS, vulgar term for a fat man. FORTY-TWA, the common place of retirement on a well-known French plan at Edinburgh, so called from its accommodating that number of persons at once. FORTY WINKS, a short sleep or nap. FOU, slightly intoxicated.-Scotch. FOUR-AND-NINE, or FOUR-AND-NINEPENNY GOSS, a cheap hat, so called from 48. 9d., the price at which a noted advertising hat-maker sold his hats "Whene'er to slumber you incline, "FOUR KINGS, HISTORY OF THE," an old name for a pack of playing cards. See Sir Thomas Urquhart's Translation of Rabelais. In Argot, LIVRE DES QUATRE ROIS. FOUNTY, water,-from "fountain," probably.-North. FOURTH, or FOURTH COURT, the court appropriated to the water-closets at Cambridge; from its really being No. 4 at Trinity College. A man leaving his room to go to this FOURTH COURT, writes on his door, in |