Chapter Fopling Flutter to Forgers and Forgeries of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Fopling Flutter to Forgers and Forgeries

Fopling Flutter (Sir), “the man of mode,” the chief character of a comedy by sir George Etherege, entitled The Man of Mode, or Sir Fopling Flutter (1676).

Foppery. Vespasian the Roman emperor had a contempt for foppery. When certain young noblemen came to him smelling of perfumes, he said to them, “You would have pleased me more if you had smelt of garlic.”

Charlemagne had a similar contempt of foppery. One day, when he was hunting, the rain poured down in torrents, and the fine furs and silks of his suite were utterly spoilt. The king took this occasion to rebuke the court beaux for their vanity in dress, and advised them in future to adopt garments more simple and more serviceable.

Foppington (Lord), an empty-headed coxcomb, intent only on dress and fashion. His favourite oaths, which he brings out with a drawl, are: “Strike me dumb!” “Split my windpipe!” and so on. When he loses his mistress, he consoles himself with this reflection: “Now, for my part, I think the wisest thing a man can do with an aching heart is to put on a serene countenance; for a philosophical air is the most becoming thing in the world to the face of a person of quality.”—Vanbrugh: The Relapse (1697).

The shoemaker in The Relapse tells lord Foppington that his lordship is mistaken in supposing that his shoe pinches.—Macaulay.

Foppington (Lord), elder brother of Tom Fashion. A selfish coxcomb, engaged to be married to Miss Hoyden, daughter of sir Tunbelly Clumsy, to whom he is personally unknown. His favourite oaths are: “Strike me dumb!” “Strike me ugly!” “Stap my vitals!” “Split my windpipe!” “Rat me!” etc.; and, in speaking, his affectation is to change the vowel o into a, as rat, naw, resalve, waurld, ardered, mauth, paund, maunth, lang, philasapher, tarture, and so on. (See Clumsy, p. 221.)—Sheridan: A Trip to Scarborough (1777).

(This comedy is The Relapse, slightly altered and curtailed.)

Foppington (Lord), a young married man about town, most intent upon dress and fashion, whose whole life is consumed in the follies of play and seduction. His favourite oaths are: “Sun, burn me!” “Curse, catch me!” “Stap my breath!” “Let me blood!” “Run me through!” “Strike me stupid!” “Knock me down!” He is reckoned the king of all court fops.—Colley Cibber: The Careless Husband (1704).

Macklin says, “Nature formed Colley Cibber for a coxcomb … and his predominant tendency was to be considered among men as a leader of fashion, and among women as a beau garçon. Hence … his ‘lord Foppington’ was a model for dress, and that hauteur and nonchalance which distinguised the superior coxcombs of that day.”—Percy: Anecdotes.

Fops’ Alley. The passage between the benches right and left of the old opera-house.

Ford, a gentleman of fortune living at Windsor. He assumes the name of Brook, and being introduced to sir John Falstaff, the knight informs him “of his whole course of wooing,” and how at one time he eluded Mrs. Ford’s jealous husband by being carried out before his eyes in a buck-basket of dirty linen.—Merry Wives of Windsor, act iii. sc. 5.

Mrs. Ford, wife of Mr. Ford. Sir John Falstaff pays court to her, and she pretends to accept his protestations of love, in order to expose and punish him. Her husband assumes for the nonce the name of Brook, and sir John tells him from time to time the progress of his suit, and how he succeeds in duping her fool of a husband.—Shakespeare: Merry Wives of Windsor (1596).

Fordelis, wife of Brandimart (Orlando’s intimate friend). When Brandimart was slain, Fordelis dwelt for a time in his sepulchre in Sicily, and died broken-hearted. (See Fourdelis.)—Aristo: Orlando Furioso, bk. xii. (1516).