[go: up one dir, main page]
Advertisement

Origin and history of fop

fop(n.)

mid-15c., "foolish person," of unknown origin, perhaps related to obsolete verb fop "make a fool of," from a continental source akin to German foppen "jeer at, make a fool of." Sense of "dandy, coxcomb, man ostentatiously nice in manner and appearance" is from 1670s, perhaps given in derision by those who thought such things foolish. The 18c. was their period of greatest florescense. The junior variety was a fopling (1680s).

His was the sumptuous age of powder and patches. He was especially dainty in the matters of sword-knots, shoe-buckles, and lace ruffles. He was ablaze with jewelry, took snuff with an incomparable air out of a box studded with diamonds, and excelled in the "nice conduct of a clouded cane." [Charles J. Dunphie, "Fops and Foppery," New York, 1876]

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to fop

fob(v.)

"to cheat," late 14c., from obsolete noun fobbe "cheat, trickster" (late 14c.), which perhaps is from Old French forbeter "to deceive, trick, dupe." Alternative etymology holds that the word is perhaps related to German foppen "to jeer at, make a fool of" (see fop); or from German fuppen, einfuppen "to pocket stealthily," which would connect it to fob (n.).

Meaning "to put or shift off (something) by pretense" is from 1650s; to fob (someone) off "put him off deceitfully" is from 1590s. Related: Fobbed; fobbing.

foppery(n.)

1540s, "a foolish action," from fop + -ery. Meaning "behavior and manner of a fop" in the "dandy" sense is from 1690s; meaning "foppish attire" is from 1711.

foppish(adj.)

"pertaining to or characteristic of a fop," c. 1600, from fop + -ish. Related: Foppishly; foppishness.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    dandy
    "man who draws attention by unusual finery of dress and fastidiousness manners, a fop," c. 1780, of uncertain origin; attested earliest in a Scottish border ballad: I've heard my granny crack O' sixty twa years back When there were sic a stock of Dandies O etc. In that regi
    dude
    1883, "fastidious man," New York City slang of unknown origin; recent research suggests it is a shortening of Yankee Doodle, based on the song's notion of "foppish, over-fastidious male" (compare macaroni). The vogue word of 1883, originally used in reference to the devotees of t
    gallant
    mid-15c., "showy, finely dressed; gay, merry," from Old French galant "courteous," earlier "amusing, entertaining; lively, bold" (14c.), present participle of galer "rejoice, make merry," which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a Latinized verb formed from Frankish *wala- "goo
    incroyable
    1796, a name for the French fop or dandy of the period of the Directory (1795-1799),  from French incroyable, literally...
    beau
    .; a fop; a dandy" is from 1680s, short for French beau garçon "pretty boy" (1660s). Plural is beaus or beaux....
    exquisite
    The noun meaning "a dandy, fop" is from 1819....
    jackanapes
    mid-15c., "a monkey," also "an impertinent, conceited fellow, an absurd fop," a general term of reproach (in mid-15c. especially...
    sheik
    also sheikh, "head of an Arab family," also "head of a Muslim religious order," and later also a general title of respect, 1570s, from Arabic shaykh "chief," literally "old man," from base of shakha "to grow old." Popularized by "The Sheik," the 1919 novel in an Arabian setting b
    swell
    Middle English swellen, from Old English swellan "grow in bulk, become bigger" (intransitive, past tense sweall, past participle swollen), from Proto-Germanic *swellanan, *swallejanan (source also of Old Saxon swellan, Old Norse svella, Old Frisian swella, Middle Dutch swellen, D
    macaroni
    "tube-shaped food made of dried wheaten paste" [Klein], 1590s, from southern Italian dialectal maccaroni (Italian maccheroni), plural of maccarone, name for a kind of pasty food made of flour, cheese, and butter, possibly from maccare "bruise, batter, crush," which is of unknown

    Share fop

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near fop
    Advertisement