Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 2.pdf/409

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and I'll pick up half-a-dozen fellows that I know you'll like to meet, regular top-*sawyers, that you're safe to find in the first flight, be it where it may.

First-nighter, subs. phr. (journalistic).—An habitué of first performances.

1886. G. Sutherland, Australia, p. 125. The first-nighter is almost unknown in the colonies.

First-Night Wrecker.—See Wrecker.

Fish, subs. (common).—1. A man; generally in contempt or disparagement as ODD FISH, LOOSE FISH, QUEER FISH, SCALY FISH, shy fish (all of which see). Cf., Cove.

2. (tailors').—Pieces cut out of garments to make them fit close.

3. (venery).—Generic for the female pudendum: e.g., A bit OF FISH = A GRIND (q.v.); FISH-MARKET = a brothel; and TO GO FISHING = to go GROUSING (q.v.).

Verb (colloquial).—To attempt to obtain by artifice; to seek indirectly; to curry favour.

Pretty kettle of fish, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A perplexing state of affairs; a quandary.

TO HAVE OTHER FISH TO FRY, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To have other business on hand.

1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.

1836. Michael Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 90. He shouted to us, and pointed to his cargo; but we had other fish to fry, and accordingly never relaxed in our pulling.

To BE NEITHER FISH NOR flesh, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be neither one thing nor another; said of waverers and nondescripts; sometimes extended to NEITHER FISH, FLESH, FOWL, NOR GOOD RED HERRING.

1598. Shakspeare, II. Henry IV., iv., 3. Falstaff. Why, she's neither fish nor flesh; a man knows not where to have her.

1631-1700. Dryden [quoted in Annandale]. Damned neuters in their middle way of steering, Are neither fish, nor FLESH, NOR GOOD RED HERRING.

Fish-Broth, subs. (common).—Water. For synonyms, see Adam's ale, to which may be added: Fr., le bouillon de canard (thieves'); l'agout (thieves'): Four. vetta.

1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe. The churlish frampold waves gave him his belly-full of fish-broath.

Fisher, subs. (common).—A lick-*spittle; only used contemptuously.

Fishhooks, subs. (common).—The fingers. For synonyms, see Forks.

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

Fishmarket, subs. (gaming).—The lowest hole at bagatelle; Simon (q.v.).—See also Fish, subs., sense 3.

Fishy, adj. (common).—Effete, dubious, or seedy (of persons); unsound, or equivocal (of things). Also FISHINESS = UNSOUNDNESS.

1858. Shirley Brooks, The Gordian Knot, p. 14. Highly fishy they were. Something about breach of trust, and the embezzling his brother's money—a man in India.

1859. Punch, vol. XXXVI., p. 82. The affair is decidedly fishy. However somebody must have the place, and so our friend Sam Warren takes the master-*ship, resigning his seat.