A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Family jewels

Jocular slang for male genitalia, first attested in America in the 1920s but now widespread across the English-speaking world.


Fan

An enthusiast, particularly of sport; this Americanism is an abbreviation of fanatic and dates from the late 19th century, originally associated with...

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Fanny

Outside of North America this is slang for the female pudenda and is first cited from c.1860 although its verbal usage may well date from before. Acco...

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Fanny Adams

see Sweet Fanny Adams


Fanzine

Far corners of the earth/world


Far cry

Attributed to Sir Walter Scott in Rob Roy (1817), “Lochow and the adjacent districts formed the original seat of the Campbells. The expression of ‘a f...

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Far from the madding crowd

This expression or quotation, which refers to getting away from crowds of people is probably better known as the title of a Thomas Hardy novel (1874)...

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Far-fetched

The current meaning, denoting something that is improbable or wildly exaggerated dates from the early 19th century. Before this, its original meaning...

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Far-flung

Meaning widely distributed, scattered or remote, dates from the late 19th century.


Farmer Giles

Rhyming slang for haemorrhoids, Farmer Giles/piles, dates from the mid-20th century. See also Chalfont St Giles.


Fart

As if we did not know, the OED tells us this word is not in decent use, but this applies only from the 18th century onwards. Before this it was a perf...

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Fart about/around

British slang for fooling about, dawdling or wasting time dates from the late 19th/early 20th century. See also fiddle-fart about/around


Fart in a colander

Similar to a fart in a trance i.e. disorientated, confused, not knowing which colander hole to exit, dates from the early 20th century.


Fart in a trance

To act like a fart in a trance is to be disorientated, drowsy or not with it, sometimes expressed as a wet fart in a trance. According to Eric Partrid...

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Farthing

Farthing, an old, obselete British coin, is a contraction of 'fourth thing' meaning that it was one fourth or a quarter of a penny. It ceased to be le...

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