▪ I. fadge, n.1 dial. and techn.
(fædʒ)
[Etymology uncertain: it is not clear whether the word is connected with fadge v. Cf. OF. fais bundle (mod.F. faix burden).]
A bundle of leather, sticks, wool, etc.; a bale of goods.
| 1588 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees) II. 180 Three hundrethe and threttene fadges of lynte. 1596 Ibid. 263 One hundredthe nynty and one fadgs, or bundels, of lynt. 1808 Jamieson, Fadge, a bundle of sticks. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Fadge, a name amongst leather sellers for a covering of undressed leather inclosing a bundle of patent or other valuable leather. 1882 Lanc. Gloss., Fadge, a burden, part of a horse's load. 1883 Almondbury Gloss., Fadge, a bundle of cloth, wool, &c. fitted into a pack-sheet and fastened with skewers. 1933 L. G. D. Acland in Press (Christchurch) 30 Dec. 13/7 Wool pack. Becomes a bale of wool when filled and pressed and a fadge when loosely filled. 1953 S. J. Baker Australia Speaks iii. 60 Fadge, a butt of a bale or two bags sewn together, usual weight 60 lb. to 150 lb. |
▪ II. fadge, n.2 Sc.
(fædʒ)
Also ? 6 fage.
A large flat loaf or bannock.
| a 1609 tr. Iter Camerarii ix. in Skene Reg. Maj. (1609) 150 b, All kindes of bread..that is, ane fage [L. quachetum] symmell, wastell..and bread of trayt. [The older text of the translation (Record ed.) omits the equivalent of quachetum.] 1719 Ramsay Ep. Hamilton ii. iii, A Glasgow capon and a fadge Ye thought a feast. a 1774 Fergusson Farmer's Ingle Poems (1845) 38 A crum O kebbuck whang'd and dainty fadge. 1808 in Jamieson. 1845 New Statist. Acc. Scot., Berwickshire 77 Cakes..of barley meal, baked to a great thickness and called fadges. |
▪ III. fadge, n.3 dial.
A short fat individual.
| a 1765 ‘Ld. Thomas & Fair Annet’ viii. in Child Eng. & Sc. Pop. Ball. (1885) iii. lxxiii. 182/2, I sall hae nothing to mysell Bot a fat fadge by the fyre. 1876 in C. C. Robinson Mid-Yorksh. Gloss. |
▪ IV. fadge, n.4 slang.
A farthing.
| 1789 G. Parker Life's Painter xv. 161. 1812 in J. H. Vaux Flash Dict. 1873 in Slang Dict. 157. |
▪ V. fadge, n.5
see fadge v.
▪ VI. fadge, v.
(fædʒ)
Also 6–7 fadg, fagge.
[Etymology unknown: first found late in 16th c.
The various uses of the word are substantially identical with those of the older fay v. (:—OE. féȝan), of which, however, it can neither be a variant nor a derivative by any known process. Possibly it may have been a new type formed unconsciously on the suggestion of fay and some word ending in -dge. Cf. fadge n.1 The close correspondence of the senses with those of cotton v.1 is remarkable.]
† 1. intr. Of things: To fit, suit, be suitable. Const. dat. or to. Also, to agree, fit in with (a thing); to agree, go down with (a person). Obs.
| 1578 Whetstone Promos & Cass. Pt. i. v. v, In good soothe, Sir, this match fadged frim. 1599 Marston Sco. Villanie i. i. 172 How ill his shape with inward forme doth fadge. a 1618 Sylvester Epist. i. 40 Ill, mee seems, that Cognizance doth fadge To such a Coate. c 1622 Fletcher Love's Cure ii. ii, These clothes will never fadge with me. a 1661 Fuller Worthies iv. (1662) 12 The Study of the Law did not fadge well with him. 1670 W. Simpson Hydrol. Ess. 43 You do not..make it fadge to your purpose. 1681 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. (1693) 708 Let men avoid what fadgeth not with their stomachs. 1711 Brit. Apollo. IV. 2/1 Your Rhimes ne'er will Fadge With us. |
† 2. Of persons: To do with, put up with (a thing); to agree, ‘hit it’, rub on (with a person).
| 1592 Nashe Strange Newes F ij, A new kind of quicke fight, which your..slow-moving capacitie cannot fadge with. 1601 Deacon & Walker Spirits & Divels 163 The Exorcist..faggeth with me now. 1604 Fr. Bacon's Proph. 123 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 272 The merry Crew, That with no drinke coulde fadge, But where the fat they knew. 1639 Sir J. Lenke in Mem. Verney Fam. (1892) I. 209 Mistress ffaulkner and my lady do fadge. 1643 Milton Divorce Pref., They shall..be made, spight of antipathy to fadge together. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. ii. 25 When they thriv'd, they never fadg'd, But only by the ears engag'd. |
† b. To be content or willing, agree, ‘make up one's mind’ to do something. Obs.
| 1592 Warner Alb. Eng. viii. xl. (1612) 195 For it did many fadge to fight. 1644 Quarles Sheph. Orac. vii, My rambling flocks would never fadge to stay Within my pastures. 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. v. (1669) 20/1 If you cannot love naked truth, you will not fadge to go naked for truth. |
3. trans. † To fit (the parts of) together (obs.). Also, to fadge up: to fit up, piece together. rare. Cf. fudge v.
| 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 75 The Watch thus fadg'd together. 1863 Mrs. Whitney Faith Gartney iv. 28 Frocks ‘fadged up’ out of old faded breadths of her mistress's dresses. |
† 4. intr. To fit in with or suit the surroundings; hence to get on, succeed, thrive. Of an event: To come off. Often with indef. subject, it, that, this, matters, things, etc. it won't fadge: it won't act. Obs.
| 1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 142 Nothing fadgith, that with them is at variaunce. 1589 Warner Alb. Eng. vi. xxix. (1612) 145 If gold but lacke in graines, the wedding fadgeth not. 1608 Merry Devil Edmonton in Hazl. Dodsley X. 230 You see how matters fadge. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 173 The æthiopian Priest first enters (without whom, they say, the miracle will not fadge). 1639 Fuller Holy War v. xv. (1647) 255 Why do our English merchants bodies fadge well enough in Southern aire? 1650 R. Gentilis Considerations 179 Either the seed doth not fadge and take root there, or it turnes to poyson. 1675 Wycherley Country Wife iv. iii. 45 Well, sir, how fadges the new design? 1694 R. L'Estrange Fables 44 The Fox..saw it would not fadge. 1809 Scott in Lockhart Life (1839) III. 195, I shall be impatient to hear how your matters fadge. 1880 W. Cornwall Gloss. s.v., ‘That 'ull never fadge.’ |
† 5. Of persons: To make things fit; hence, to get on, succeed. Obs.
| 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Mouldre, Let him that cannot fadge in one course, fall to another. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Unnat. Father Wks. ii. 136/2 He..saw that he could not fadge there [in Holland] according to his desire. 1789 Cowper Let. 6 June, We..have none but ourselves to depend on..Well, we can fadge. |
6. To make one's way; to jog along; to trudge. rare exc. dial. [Perh. a different word.]
| 1658 R. Franck North. Mem. (1821) 266 From hence we fadg to Ferry-Brigs. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss. s.v., ‘He goes fadging along’. 1861 Fraser's Mag. Dec. 764 A man came fadging nimbly after me on a fresh ass. 1870 Barber Forness Folk 3 (Lanc. Gloss.), I..fadged away up Gamswell. 1876 C. C. Robinson Mid-Yorksh. Gloss. s.v., ‘Thou fadges like an old horse.’ |
Hence fadge n.5 dial., a slow regular motion, a jog-trot. Also attrib.
| 1873 Harland Swaledale Gloss., Fadge-trot, a jog-trot. 1877 Ross, etc. Holderness Gloss., Fadge, a jog-trot. 1878 in Dickinson Cumberld. Gloss. s.v. |