Reliving History

Reliving History next month is all about re-enactments, living history and the people within the hobby. It is also about photography of the people and events that forms the public community for the group. Enjoy the site, the photographs and the stories.

F is for Fice

Submitted by david d on Sun, 11/30/2008 - 21:19

F.F.V.: First Families of Virginia, of which many claimed to be members to gain special treatment, but eventually used in jest.

  • 1850: [He was] the first of his race to acknowledge that he was not an F.F.V. Odd Leaves, p. 178
  • 1857: Mr. Floyd, as everybody knows, as an F.F.V., and the soul of honor accordingly. Harper's Weekly, April 11
  • 1861: They must do better down in Virginia than they have done, or F.F.V., instead of standing for First Families of Virginia, will get to mean the Fast Flying Virginians. Oregon Argus, August 10

Fice, fiste, tyst: a worthless dog; a mongrel.

  • 1843: Did you ever see a pack composed of five or six little fice dogs, barking furiously? Missouri Reporter, St. Louis, June 29
  • 1863: What other Pete can I mean but your dirty little fice dog? J.B. ]ones, Wild Western Scenes, p. 15
  • 1874: [The barking ranged] all the way from the contemptible treble of an ill-mannered fice to the deep baying of a huge bulldog. Edward Eggleston, The Circuit Rider, p. 72
  • 1890: All the dogs of the regiment were with us, apparently, from the lofty and high-born staghounds down to the little feist, or mongrel, of the trooper. Mrs. Elizabeth Custer, Following the Guidon, p.78

Fist, make a: to succeed at something.

  • 1834: A chap would make a blue fist of takin' a dead aim through double sights, with the butt end of a psalm in his guzzle. The Kentuckian in New York, p.25
  • 1838: He reckoned he should make a better fist at farming than edicating. Caroline Gilman, Recollections of a Southern Matron, p.46
  • 1841: You made a poor fist of this business. W.G. Simms, The Kinsmen, p.24

Fit: popular slang for fought.

  • 1835: Any body can get in, if only he fit big battles enough. I'd give a year's sellary in a minute, if Mr. Van Buren had ever fit a great battle so as to be called a hero. Bucks County Intelligencer, November 4
  • 1839: Here's a going to be one of the peskiest battles that ever was fit. Chemung (New York) Democrat, April 17
  • 1845: There's a mighty chance of lawyers' lies in the papers ...but some of it is true. I did strike the old lady, but she fit me powerfully first. Cornelius Mathews, A Court Scene in Georgia, p.140
  • 1869: He hadn't fit the Arminians and Socinians to be beat by a tom-turkey. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Old Town Stories

Fit to be Tied: very upset

  • Martha was fit to be tied when the fice dog ate her apple pie.

Fix: a dilemma; a problem; a jam.

  • 1833: When a man has head religion, he is in a bad fix to die -cut off his head, and away goes his body and soul to the devil. James Hall, Legends of the West, p.43
  • 1839: The Americans are never at a loss when they are in a fix. Marry at, Diary in America, p.106

Fixings: trimmings, accessories, etc.

  • 1825: The veteran trapper was furnished with such other appliances, or fixens, as he would term them, as put him in plight again to take the field. New Hampshire Patriot, Concord, May 23
  • 1842: Our friends who love oysters and sparkling rosy wine, and other little fixens in the eating way, will do well to drop in at the Bath House Refectory. Philadelphia Spirit of the Times, January 22
  • 1842: People can't afford to purchase the rich golden and rosy beef- steaks, as formerly. They keep soul and body together with greens and onions, shad, and such like fixins. Philadelphia Spirit of the Times, April 16
  • 1845: Our ladies are sadly in want of the little fixins made by the milliners. Letter to the Bangor Mercury
  • 1848: [He] makes a heap of money by selling Yankee made Ingin fixins, sich as moccasins, bead-bags, card-cases, and a heap of fancy articles, sich as the Ingins themselves never dreamed of makin. Major Jones's Sketches of Travel p.167

Fix one's flint: to settle a matter.

  • 1837: I thought I had fixed your flint yesterday. Knickerbocker Magazine, April
  • 1843: "Take it easy, Sam," says I, "Your flint is fixed." Sam Slick in England
  • 1847: Stranger, if you don't shet your mouth a little closer than a Gulf clam, I'll fix your flint in short order. J.K. Paulding, American Comedies, p.197

Fleshy: fat.

  • 1807: A large, fleshy, rugged, strong, active child. Massachusetts Spy, August 26
  • 1840: Mrs. Ferret is what we call a fleshy or lusty woman; she weighed two hundred and twelve, in Neal Hopper's new scale at the mill. John P. Kennedy, Quodlibet, p.110

Frolic: a celebration; a party; a wild time; also, a fight.

  • 1815: He happened to get both eyes gouged out yesterday in a frolic. J.K. Paulding, John Bull in America, p.218
  • 1833: They meant to have a reaping frolic when the corn should be ripe. Harriet Martineau, Briery Creek, p. 18

Full chisel: at full speed; executed with everything you've got.

  • 1832: 1 met an express coming on full chisel from Philadelphia. Seba Smith, Major Jack Downing, p. 168
  • 1878: The only way to get that fellow to heaven would be to set out to drive him to hell; then he'd turn and run up the narrow way full chisel. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Poganuc People

Funeral, not one's: not one's business; none of one's concern.

  • 1875: Wanted: A nice, plump, healthy, good-natured, good-looking domestic and affectionate lady to correspond with, object -Matrimony. She must be between 22 and 35 years of age. She must be a believer in God and immortality, but no sectarian. She must not be a gad about or given to scandal.... Such a lady can find a correspondent by addressing ... Post Office Box 9, Yuma, A.T. Photographs exchanged! If anybody don't like our way of going about this ... business, we don't care. It's none of their funeral. Lonely hearts classified ad in the Arizona Sentinel, July 10
  • 1896: It ain't any of your funeral, I guess, if I did turn (the clock) back. Ella Higginson, Tales from Puget Sound, p.184
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