• FALLIBILITY
n. 1634 – liability to err or to mislead
• FALLIBLE
adj. 1. a1420 – rules, opinions, arguments, etc.: liable to be erroneous, unreliable
adj. 2. 1430 – of persons or their faculties: liable to be deceived or mistaken; liable to err
adj. 3. 1559 obs. rare – fallacious, delusive
adj. 4. 1664 obs. rare – not determinable with certainty
n. 1705 rare – one who is fallible
• FALLIE
n. 1. 1915 Sc. – a fellow
n. 2. 20C – a flower; usually used in the plural
• FALL IN
vb. 1. 1606 obs. – to make up a quarrel; to become reconciled
vb. 2. 1667 obs. rare – to give way, to yield
vb. 3. 1854 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to sink in, to become hollow, to shrink in person
vb. 4. M19 sl., orig. African-American – to arrive, to go to, to visit
vb. 5. M19 sl. – to find oneself in difficulties
vb. 6. M19 – to become involved
vb. 7. Bk1900 Sc. – of water: to subside
vb. 8. c1900 sl. – to be quite wrong
vb. 9. 1942 Amer. dial. – to go to bed
vb. 10. 1952 US sl. – to join; to stay
vb. 11. 1989 Aust. sl. – in horse racing: to barely hold off challengers and win a race
• FALL IN AGE
vb. a1300 obs. – to become advanced in years
• FALLING
n. 1. 1382 – a fragment of a building, a ruin
n. 2. 1555 – the setting of the sun
n. 3. 1563 obs. – a depression in the soil; a hollow, declivity, slope
n. 4. 1892 Eng. dial. – a downfall of snow, rain, or hail; a snowstorm; generally in plural
n. 5. 2000s African-American sl. – acting insanely
• FALLING APART
adj. 20C Amer. dial. – pregnant; getting ready to ‘drop’
• FALLING-BAND
n. 1622 Eng. dial. – a necktie, an old-fashioned neck-band
• FALLING DEN
n. 1911 African-American sl. – a bed
• FALLING-DISEASE
n. 1607 obs. – epilepsy
• FALLING DOWN
n. 1850 Amer. dial. – a dropping to the ground in uncontrollable ecstasy during a religious experience or conversion
• FALLING-DOWN DRUNK
adj. 1968 Amer. dial. – thoroughly intoxicated
• FALLING-EVIL
n. a1225 obs. – epilepsy
• FALLING EXERCISE
n. 1807 Amer. dial. – a dropping to the ground in uncontrollable ecstasy during a religious experience or conversion
• FALLING-ILL
n. 1652 obs. – epilepsy
• FALLING-LUCK
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – bad luck
• FALLING-OFF PLACE
n. 1. 1908 Amer. dial. – a deserted or uninhabited region
n. 2. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – a small town
• THE FALLING OF THE LEAF
n. 1503 – autumn
• FALLING-OUT
n. 1539 – a disagreement
• FALLINGS
n. 1. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – fallen fruit, windfall apples
n. 2. 1980 Amer. dial. – refuse, leavings
• FALLING-SICKNESS
n. 1. 1527 rare – epilepsy
n. 2. 17C sl. – sexual intercourse
• FALLING WEATHER
n. 1. 1732 Eng. & Amer. dial. – weather characterized by rain, snow, hail, or heavy fog; conditions likely to produce such weather
n. 2. 1942 Amer. dial. – autumn, fall
• FALL IN HELL WITH THE WICKED
vb. 1967 Amer. dial. – to be victimized
• FALL IN ON
vb. 1891 Amer. dial. – to drop in on; to pay a visit to
• FALL IN THE BUTTER TUB
vb. 1968 Amer. dial. – to have a piece of good luck or fortune
• FALL IN THE FURROW
vb. 19C Brit. sl. – to ejaculate, perhaps to ejaculate prematurely
• FALL IN THE SHIT
vb. c1870 colloq. – to get into trouble; to find oneself in difficulties
• FALL IN THE THICK
vb. L19 sl. – to become very drunk
• FALL INTO
vb. 1. 1930s – to come upon, to obtain
vb. 2. 1940s US sl.- to stay
vb. 3. 1940s US sl. – to visit
• FALL INTO A CART OF SHIT AND COME OUT WITH A GOLD WATCH
phr. 20C Cockney usage – applied to a habitually lucky person, or to one who has been extraordinarily lucky on a specific occasion
• FALL INTO A PERSON’S HEART
vb. c1340 obs. – to occur to him
• FALL INTO A PILE OF SHIT AND COME OUT WITH A GOLD WATCH
phr. 20C Cockney usage – applied to a habitually lucky person, or to one who has been extraordinarily lucky on a specific occasion
• FALL INTO A PILE OF SHIT AND COME UP SMELLING OF VIOLETS
phr. L19 Cockney usage – applied to a habitually lucky person, or to one who has been extraordinarily lucky on a specific occasion
• FALL INTO THE BOTTLE
vb. 1990 US sl. – to become a drunkard
• FALL IN TWO
vb. 1788 Sc. obs. – to give birth to a child
• FALL MONEY
n. 1893 Amer. criminals’ sl. – funds saved by criminals to pay lawyers, secure cash bail, and to bribe officials
• FALLOCH
adj. 1911 Sc. – thick, bulky
n. 1. 1866 Sc. – a large portion of anything heavy or bulky, sometimes of eatables; generally used in a bad sense
n. 2. Bk1900 Sc. – a lump, heap, large piece of anything; generally used of edibles
• FALL-OFF
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – an out-of-the-way place, or a very unimportant place
(verbs usually as ‘fall off’)
vb. 1. 1805 Amer. dial. – weight, usually as a result of illness
vb. 2. 1948 Amer. euphemism – to begin a menstrual period
vb. 3. 1954 Amer. dial. – to decline in health
• FALL OFF A MANGO TREE
vb. 1991 Trinidad and Tobago sl. – to be extremely naive
• FALL OFF ONE’S FEET
vb. 1889 Sc. – to tumble, to fall
• FALL OFF THE CHRISTMAS TREE
vb. L19 US students’ sl. – to be amazed
• FALL OFF THE MAP
vb. 1980s Amer. sl. – to disappear from view and attention; to drop out of sight
• FALL OFF THE PERCH
vb. L18 sl. – to die
• FALL OFF THE ROOF
vb. 1. 1948 Amer. euphemism – to begin a menstrual period
vb. 2. 1970s US homosexual sl. – to be in a nervous, irritable state
• FALL OFF THE WAGON
vb. L19 sl. – to begin drinking liquor again after a period of abstinence; also, to breach abstinence or moderation in anything
• FALL OFF THE WATER WAGON
vb. L19 sl. – to drink heavily; usually in the context of resuming drinking after a period of abstinence
• FALL OFF THE TWIG
vb. 2000s sl. – to die
• THE FALL OF THE LEAF
n. 1. 1545 obs. – autumn
n. 2. c1780 criminals’ sl. – a hanging
n. 3. E18 sl. – death
• FALL OF THE YEAR
n. 1844 Sc. & Eng. dial. – autumn
• FALLOL
n. 1879 Eng. dial. – affectation in manner, fussy show of politeness
• FALL ON
vb. 1976 UK sl. – to become pregnant
• FALL ON IN
vb. M19 sl., orig. African-American – to arrive, to go to, to visit
• FALL ON ONE’S ASS
vb. 1. 1940s Amer. sl. – to fail, esp. ignominiously and spectacularly
vb. 2. 1970s Amer. airline usage – of weather conditions at an airport: to deteriorate beneath operational limits
• FALL ON ONE’S FACE
vb. 1970s Amer. sl. – to make an embarrassing mistake, failed attempt, catastrophic decline, etc.
• FALL ON ONE’S FEET
vb. 1950s sl. – to survive a difficult situation
• FALL ON ONE’S SWORD
vb. 1990s Amer. sl. – to commit suicide, esp. after a defeat and for the good of the general cause
• FALL ON SHORE
vb. 1590 obs. – to run aground
• FALL ON SLEEP
vb. 1947 Amer. dial. – to die
• FALL ON THE BALL
vb. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – to begin, to commence
• FALL ON THE DRAM
vb. 1870 Sc. – to take a fit of drinking
• FALL ON THE GRENADE
vb. 2002 US sl. – in a social situation: to pay attention to the less attractive of a pair of friends in the hope that your friend will have success with the more attractive member of the pair
• FALL ON THE NECK OF SOMETHING
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to follow it quickly
• FALL ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE HEDGE
vb. L19 sl. – to be thrown or fall from a coach
• FALLOPS
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – rags hanging about a dress; an untidy dress
• FALLOPY
adj. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – untidy
• FALL-OUT
n. 1. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – a quarrel, a misunderstanding
n. 2. 1950s Amer. sl. – an accompanying or resultant effect of something; an aftermath
n. 3. 1950s Amer. sl. – incidental products, esp. when copious and of little value
n. 4. c1955 Aust. sl. – the threat of pieces falling from an old, unsafe automobile
n. 5. c1960 Aust. sl. – the risk of breasts falling out of a scanty bra or a bikini
n. 6. 1970 Amer. dial. – a fainting spell
(verbs usually as ‘fall out’)
vb. 1. 1884 US sl. – to faint; to collapse; to fall asleep, often when overcome by drug consumption or excessive drinking
vb. 2. M19 sl., orig. African-American – to arrive, to go to, to visit
vb. 3. 1930s sl. – to leave
vb. 4. 1930s sl. – to enthuse, to be delighted by
vb. 5. 1938 African-American sl. – to be surprised or overcome with emotion
vb. 6. 1940s sl. – to lose control of a situation
vb. 7. 1946 Amer. dial. – to burst out laughing; to be tickled by something funny
vb. 8. 1950s sl. – to relax
vb. 9. 1962 Amer. criminals’ sl. – to be arrested
• FALL OUT LAUGHING
vb. 1959 Amer. sl. – to break up with mirth
• FALL OUT OF FLESH
vb. 1530 obs. – to shrink; of an animal or a limb: to become lean
• FALL OUT OF ONE’S STANDING
vb. 1. 1990s Irish sl. – to be surprised or stunned
vb. 2. 1990s Irish sl. – to collapse from exhaustion
• FALL OUT OF THE BOAT
vb. 20C Royal Navy usage – to become unpopular in a naval mess
• FALL OUT OF THE PAN INTO THE FIRE
vb. 1596 – to escape from one evil only to fall into a greater one
• FALLOVER
n. 1949 Amer. dial. – a waterfall
(verbs usually as ‘fall over’)
vb. 1. 1595 obs. – to go over to the enemy
vb. 2. 1823 Sc. – to fall asleep
vb. 3. M19 sl., orig. US – to arrive, to go to, to visit
vb. 4. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – to meet; to encounter
• FALL OVER ONESELF
vb. 1904 sl., orig. US – to go out of one’s way to do something; to be eager or enthusiastic
• FALL OVER TO
vb. 1904 sl., orig. US – to visit without prior warning; to drop in
• FALLOW
adj. 8C-11C obs. – of a pale brownish or reddish yellow colour, as withered grass or leaves
n. c1300 obs. – a piece of ploughed land; also, collectively, ploughed land in general, arable land
vb. 1. a1000 obs. – to become pale or yellow; hence, to fade, to wither
vb. 2. c1205 obs. – of the face, etc.: to blanch, to grow pale
• FALLOWFORTH
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – a cascade, a waterfall
• FALL PARTNER
n. 1950s US criminals’ sl. – one of two or more people who are arrested or sentenced to prison at the same time for the same crime; also, one of a pair of thieves working together
• FALLS
n. 1882 Eng. dial. – cliff sides
• FALL SCRATCH
n. 1969 US sl. – money set aside to cover expenses incurred in the event of an arrest; money that is held ready for use as bail, as by a pimp for one of his prostitutes
• FALL THROUGH
vb. 1. 1766 Sc. – to bungle, to blunder; to spoil, to prevent by mismanagement
vb. 2. Bk1900 Sc. – to lose, to come short of
vb. 3. 1924 colloq. – to be unable to keep, or to go back on, an appointment
• FALL THROUGH ONE’S (OWN) ASSHOLE
vb. 1960s US sl. – to be extremely surprised or utterly shocked
• FALL TO
vb. 1. M19 – to become involved
vb. 2. 1900s US criminals’ sl. – to notice
vb. 3. 1904 Amer. sl. – to be deceived or taken in by something or someone
vb. 4. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – to begin, to commence
• FALL TO FOOD
vb. a1400 obs. – to begin eating it
• FALL TOGETHER
vb. 1. a1300 obs. – of the eyes: to close
vb. 2. 1654 obs. – to collapse, to contract, to shrink up
• FALL TOGETHER BY THE EARS
vb. 1539 obs. – said of animals fighting; hence of persons: to engage in a fight or scuffle; to fight and scratch each other; to contend in strife; to be at variance, to quarrel
• FALL TOGS
n. 1927 Amer. criminals’ sl. – good and respectable clothes to be worn when on trial so as to create a favourable impression
• FALL TO LOGGERHEADS
vb. 1828 – to come into conflict, to argue, to come to blows, to fight → Amer. dial.
• FALL TO PIECES
vb. 1781 – to go into labour; to give birth to a child → Sc. obs.
• FALL TO WORK
vb. 1551 – to being working → obs.
• FALL UP
vb. 1. 1777 – to advance → Eng. dial.
vb. 2. ..L19 – to come for a visit; to arrive, to turn up → African-American sl.
vb. 3. 1952 – to go to → US sl.
• FALL-WIND
n. 1867 – a sudden gust → nautical usage
• FALL WITH BAIRN
vb. 1813 – to become pregnant → Sc.
• FALL-WOOD
n. 1528 – wood that has fallen or been blown down → obs.
• FALLY
adj. 1802 – full of falls or shallow rapids → obs.
n. ..20C – a flower; usually used in the plural
• FALLY-LIKE
adj. 1900 – untidy → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALOOSIE
n. 1936 – a woman of loose morals → Amer. dial.
• FALSAGE
n. 1400 – deceit, falsehood → obs.
• FALSARY
n. 1. 1435 – one who falsifies, or fraudulent alters a document, etc.; a falsifier → obs.
n. 2. 1573 – a false or deceitful person → obs.
n. 3. 1579 – one who forges a document; a forger → obs.
• FALSE
adj. 1. 1551 – of dice: loaded so as to fall unfairly
adj. 2. 1590 – of ground, a foundation, etc.: treacherous, insecure → obs.
adj. 3. 1791 – of shame, pride: arising from mistaken notions
adj. 4. 1866 – sharp, shrewd, clever, precocious; generally applied to children and animals → Eng. dial.
adj. 5. 1900 – of a horse: wanting in spirit; vicious → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
adj. 6. 1900 – of a man: lazy → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
adj. 7. 1900 – proud, vain, boastful → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
adv. 1. 1591 – of music: out of tune, incorrectly → obs.
adv. 2. 1596 – improperly, wrongly → obs.
adv. 3. 1815 – of an arrow’s flight: in the wrong direction; erringly → obs.
int. 1989 – no! impossible! that’s not true! → US students’ sl.
n. 1. 1000 – fraud, falsehood, treachery; in early use, counterfeiting of coin; forgery → obs.
n. 2. 1380 – what is false; a falsehood; a lie
vb. 1. 1205 – of a thing: to prove unreliable, to fail, to give way → obs.
vb. 2. 1300 – to counterfeit money; to forge a document → obs.
vb. 3. 1303 – to break or violate one’s faith, worth, etc. → obs.
vb. 4. 1374 – to play false to a person; to betray, to deceive → obs.
vb. 5. 1380 – to falsify; to make untrue; to introduce falsehood into; to corrupt → obs.
vb. 6. 1873 – to cajole, to flatter, to coax, to wheedle → Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 7. 1930 – to lie; to deceive → Aust. sl.
• FALSE ALARM
n. 1. 1900 a braggart, a boaster → sl. –
n. 2. 1900 – a person who bluffs or exaggerates or who does not fulfil expectations; hence, a worthless person → Amer. sl.
n. 3. 1910 – the arm → rhyming sl., orig. military usage
• FALSE AS A BULLETIN
adj. 1795 – inaccurate, false → colloq.
• FALSE AS MY KNIFE
adj. 20C – ‘as with knives, so with false friends – they’ll cut me’
• FALSE AS NEWGATE
adj. 1905 – very false → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALSE AS WAGHORN
adj. 1721 – very false → Sc.
• FALSE-BACK
adj. 1633 – ? treacherously retreating → obs.
• FALSE-BELLY
n. 1912 – the opossum’s marsupial pouch → Amer. dial.
• FALSE-BLOW
n. 1900 – an unfair blow → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALSEDICT
n. 1579 – an untrue deliverance or utterance → obs.
• FALSEDOM
n. 1297 – treachery; untruth; a falsehood → obs.
.
• FALSE DOOR
n. 1627 – a secret door → obs.
• FALSE FACE
n. 1. 1818 – a mask
n. 2. 1900 – a hypocrite, a deceitful or insincere person → Sc. (Bk.)
n. 3. 1942 – an unattractive person → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
• FALSE FIRE
n. 1. 1633 – a blank discharge of firearms → obs.
n. 2. 1711 – a fire made to deceive an enemy, or as a night-signal
• FALSE FLAP
n. 1930 – a bad cheque → Aust. sl.
• FALSE GIG
vb. 1940 – to pretend to be what one is not; to act under false pretenses → Aust. sl.
• FALSE-HEART
adj. 1593 – false-hearted; deceitful; unfaithful → obs.
• FALSE HEREAFTER
n. 1890 – a dress-improver or bustle → society sl.
• FALSEHOOD
n. 1. 1297 – as an attribute of persons: falseness, deceitfulness, mendacity, faithlessness → obs.
n. 2. 1340 – deception, falsification, imposture; a forgery, counterfeit → obs.
• FALSE KEY
n. 1701 – a skeleton key, a picklock
• FALSELEKE
n. 1310 – falsehood → obs.
• FALSE-LOON
n. 1885 – a traitor → Eng. dial.
• FALSELY
adj. 1310 – false, deceptive → obs.
• FALSEN
vb. 1888 – to make false or unreal
• FALSE NAIL
n. 1818 – ? a hangnail → obs.
• FALSENESS
n. 1. 1552 – the fact of failing or ‘giving way’ → obs.
n. 2. 1882 – flattery → Eng. dial.
n. 3. 1900 – cleverness → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALSE POINT
n. 1529 – a stroke of deceit; a trick → obs.
• FALSER
n. 1. 1340 – a falsifier, a forger, a counterfeiter → obs.
n. 2. 1579 – one who acts falsely; a deceiver → obs.
• FALSERY
n. 1594 – deception, falsification, falsehood → obs.
• FALSESHIP
n. 1230 – untruthfulness; dishonesty, deceit → obs.
• FALSESOME
adj. 1533 – deceitful, untrue → obs. exc. Sc.
• FALSE-SWEAR
vb. 1900 – to swear falsely, to commit perjury → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALSET
n. 1900 – falsehood, treachery, deceit, fraud → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALSE-TASTEDLY
adv. 1803 – with a false or bad taste → Eng. dial.
• FALSE TRUST
n. 1649 – a breach of trust → obs.
• FALSE WRITER
n. 1. 1300 – one who writes incorrectly → obs.
n. 2. 1580 – a forger → obs.
• FALSIDICAL
adj. 1886 – suggesting as true what is really false; falsehood-telling
• FALSIE
n. 1. 1940 – a brassiere padded to give the appearance of large breasts; also, padding worn in other places to increase the generosity of a woman’s body → Amer. sl.
n. 2. 1940 – anything false or artificial; a prosthesis → Amer. sl.
• FALSIE BASKET
n. 1957 crotch padding worn by males to project the image of a large penis → US sl. –
• FALSIES
n. 1. ..E20 – false buttocks or other body padding designed to make one’s body more sexually attractive → US colloq.
n. 2. 1943 – a pair of breast pads worn to give the appearance of large breasts → Amer. sl.
n. 3. 1940 – anything fake added to the body, as false eyelashes → sl.
n. 4. 1950 – padding inserted in the trousers to resemble large genitals → sl.
n. 5. 1983 – false teeth → Amer. sl.
• FALSIFIC
adj. 1736 – making false, falsifying → obs.
• FALSIFY
vb. 1. 1532 – to prove false; to break or violate one’s faith, word, etc. → obs.
vb. 2. 1629 – to make a false representation or statement; to deal in falsehoods → obs.
vb. 3. 1875 – to sham illness, to pretend → Eng. dial.
vb. 4. 1900 – to show signs of failing health→ Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALSILOQUENCE
n. 1710 – false speaking; deceitful speech → obs.
• FALSIMONY
n. 1736 – falsity, falseness → obs.
• FALSING
n. 1940 – shamming, malingering → Aust. sl.
• FALSISH
adj. 1873 – somewhat false
• FALSITUDE
n. 2001 – a lie → US sl.
• FALSITY
n. 1. 1330 – false or treacherous conduct; treachery, fraud → obs.
n. 2. 1780 – a counterfeit, sham
• FALSY
n. 1. 1940 – a brassiere padded to give the appearance of large breasts; also, padding worn in other places to increase the generosity of a woman’s body → Amer. sl.
n. 2. 1940 – anything false or artificial; a prosthesis → Amer. sl.
n. 3. 2003 a chipped marble → Trinidad and Tobago sl.-
vb. 1626 – to break or violate one’s faith or word → obs.
• FALTER
vb. 1900 – to fail in health; to show signs of old age; to break up in constitution → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
• FALTIVE
adj. 1722 – faulty → Sc. obs.
• FALUTIN
adj. 1966 – putting on airs → Amer. dial.
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Lexicophilia 