Category: Word of the Day – F

ETYMOLOGY
probably from flummery (nonsense, humbug, empty trifling)

EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“… When Mr. Middleton was spoken to on the subject of sending Julia to Frankfort, he at first refused outright. ” No,” said he, ” indeed she shan’t go ! What does she want of any more flummerdiddle notions ? What she does know is a damage to her ! “
“But do you not wish to give your daughters every possible advantage ? ” said Mr. Wilmot. …”

From: Tempest and Sunshine; or, Life in Kentucky
By Mary Jane Holmes, 1854

ETYMOLOGY
adj.:  from Latin fatigatus, past participle of fatigare (to fatigue)
vb.:  from Latin fatigat- participial stem of fatigare (to fatigue)

EXAMPLE (for adj.)
“… Oyle of Lune and water wyth labour grett,
I made Calcynyng yt with salt precipytate,
And by hyt selfe with vyolent hett
Gryndyng with Vynegar tyll I was fatygate:
And also with a quantyte of Spyces acuate;
Uppon a Marble whych stode me oft in cost,
And Oyles with Corrosyves I made; but all was lost. …”

From: Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, Containing Severall Poeticall Pieces of our Famous English Philosophers, who have written the hermetique mysteries in their owne ancient language. Faithfully collected into one volume, with annotations;
By Elias Ashmole, 1652

ETYMOLOGY
from fashion (n.) + -al

EXAMPLE
“… I ought you a letter in verse before by mine owne promise, & now that you thinke you have hedged in that debt by a greater by your letter in verse I thinke it now most seasonable and fashionall for mee to break. At least, to write presently were to accuse my selfe of not having read yours so often as such a letter deserves from you to mee. …”

From: Poems
By John Donne, 1633
‘Letters‘, a1607

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin furibundus (from furere = to rage); the earlier forms through French furibond

EXAMPLE
“… In sayeng the whiche wordes by eneas / dydo lokyng at one side torned hir eyen sodaynli wythout to speke neuer a worde / as a persone furybounde & furyous: and or euer that she coude saye ony thyng. …”

From: “The Boke yf Eneydos, compyled by Vyrgyle, which hathe be translated oute of latyne in to frenshe, and oute of frenshe reduced in to Englysshe by me Wyllm Caxton“
By William Caxton, 1490

ETYMOLOGY
from fair (adj.) + -some

EXAMPLE
“… Weel, man, tho’ I’m no just every man’s dog that whistles, on me, I see we maun pit our shouthers to the wheel thegither, if it is ainly to mettle up the King no to be sae muckle hoodwinked by yon’ upstart Lord : that the royal Jamie should be sae come ower by a fairsome face an’ a saucy tongue aye gars me think there maun be glamour in the world yet — an’ if ever I saw ane that has the look o’ a witch wife, it wad be my opinion leddy Buckingham has an ower uncanny glint in her eye. …”

From: The Prophecy
By Rachel Evelyn Butler, 1862

ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin

EXAMPLE
“… croaking of Ravens, screeching of Owls, whicking of Pigs, gushing of Hogs, curring of Pigeons, grumbling of Cushet-doves, howling of Panthers, curkling of Quails, chirping of Sparrows, crackling of Crows, nuzzing of Camels, wheening of Whelps, buzzing of Dromedaries, mumbling of Rabets, cricking of Ferrets, humming of Wasps, mioling of Tygers, bruzzing of Bears, sussing of Kitnings, clamring of Scarfes, whimpring of Fullmarts, boing of Buffalos, warbling of Nightingales, quavering of Meavises, drintling of Turkies, coniating of Storks, frantling of Peacocks, clattering of Mag-pyes, murmuring of Stock-doves, crouting of Cormorants, cigling of Locusts, charming of Beagles, guarring of Puppies, snarling of Messens, rantling of Rats, guerieting of Apes, snuttering of Monkies …”

From: The Third Book of the Works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Containing the Heroick Deeds of Pantagruel the Son of Gargantua,
By François Rabelais
Translated by Thomas Urquhart & Peter Anthony Motteux, 1693

ETYMOLOGY
n. of unknown origin
vb. diminutive or frequentative of frab (to harass, worry)

EXAMPLE (for n.)
“… And those more refined Arians, how near they were to the Truth, or how near they might be understood to have come to the Truth, and that it might be proved to be rather a frabble of words than a distinct disagreement of senses, it were too operose a matter to declare here. How much some Fathers have cryed out against the over-much curiosity of Definitions by Councils, History will teach us. …”

From: Paralipomena Prophetica containing several supplements and defences of Dr Henry More his expositions of the Prophet Daniel and the apocalypse
By Henry More, 1685

ETYMOLOGY
from flisk (to move or dance about in a frolicsome way, to frisk) + -y

EXAMPLE
“… An’ nane can nature’s charms enjoy, or manage weel the day’s employ,
Wha ay gang donarin nidy noy
To houſes flisky,
An bletherin’ gie douse fock annoy,
Whan ramm’d wi Whisky…”

From: Poems Pastoral, Satirical, Tragic, and Comic
By John Learmont, 1791
The Condemnation of Whisky

ETYMOLOGY
of obscure origin;
possibly from frample (to put in disorder)

EXAMPLE
“… This is the laund that bigs the winds; winds big the cloods; 
the cloods, the weit, the weit, the grun; an antrin steer 
o syle an rain. Thon frimple-frample watter rowin 
frae Kenmore tae Dundee is cried the River Tay. …”

From: Wild Mushrooms: Writings
By Kate Armstrong, 1993

ETYMOLOGY
aphetic form of Old French enfaunt, enfant (infant); 
The shortened form has not been found in French, but Italian has the corresponding fante (boy, servant, foot-soldier), whence German fant

EXAMPLE
“… The eiȝt day the fawnt shal be circumcidid. …”

From: Bible (Wycliffite, early version) Leviticus 12:3