Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 2.pdf/373

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knew what was coming, the skilled fist of the Professor had planted such a facer as did not require repetition.

1868. C. Reade, Foul Play, ch. ii. This was followed by a quick succession of staggering facers, administered right and left, on the eyes and noses of the subordinates.

2. (common).—A sudden check; 'a spoke in one's wheel.' [By implication from sense 1.]

1860. Thackeray, Philip, ch. xl. In the battle of life every man must meet with a blow or two, and every brave one would take his facer with good humour.

1869. Whyte Melville, M. or N., p. 189. Dick Stanmore took his punishment with true British pluck and pertinacity. It was a facer.

3. (Irish).—A dram.

4. (old).—A bumper. [Grose, 1785.]

5. (common).—A tumbler of whiskey punch.

6. (American thieves').—An accomplice; a stall (q.v.) or fence (q.v.).

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.

1881. New York Slang Dict., s.v.

Facey, subs. (tailors').—A fellow workman vis-à-vis. Facey on the bias = one in front either to right or left; Facey on the two thick = one working immediately behind one's opposite.

Facings.—To be put, or go, through one's facings, verb. phr. (popular).—To be called to account or scolded; to exemplify capacity; to 'show off.' [Military.]

Silk-facings, subs. (tailors').—Stains upon work caused by droppings of beer. [In allusion to the 'watered' silk trimmings in front of a regimental jacket or coat.]

Fad-cattle, subs. (old).—Easy women. For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and Tart. [Cf., Faddle = to toy + cattle (q.v.).]

Faddist (also Fadmonger), subs. (colloquial).—A person (male or female) devoted to the pursuit of public fads: as 'social purity,' moral art, free-trade in syphilis, and so-forth.

Faddle, verb (obsolete).—To toy or trifle: as a subs. = a busybody; a 'nancified' affected male. Also Faddy = full of fads.

Fadge, subs. (common).—A farthing.

English Synonyms.—Fiddler; farden; gig, or grig; quartereen.

1789. Geo. Parker, Life's Painter, p. 178, s.v.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

1848. Duncombe, Sinks of London, s.v.

Verb (old).—To suit; to fit; to agree with; to come off. [A.S., fégan, fégean, to join, to fit. Nares says, 'probably never better than a low word: it is now confined to the streets.']

1593. Nashe, 4 Lett. Conf., in wks. (Grosart) II., 215. They haue broght in a new kind of a quicke sight, which your decrepite slow-mouing capacitie cannot fadge with.

1594. Shakspeare, Love's Labour Lost, V., i., 154. We will haue, if this fadge not, an Antique.

1599. Massinger, Old Law, IV., ii. Clean. My Lord! Sim. Now it begins to fadge.