fancy
See also: Fancy
EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”),[1] from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.
NounEdit
fancy (plural fancies)
- The imagination.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554, lines 100-103:
- […] But know that in the soul / Are many lesser faculties, that serve / Reason as chief; among these Fancy next / Her office holds […]
- 1835, Alfred Tennyson, “Locksley Hall”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, OCLC 1008064829, page 94:
- In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove; / In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.
- 1861, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, “A New Counterblast” in Atlantic Monthly, December 1861, p. 700,[1]
- Rustic females who habitually chew even pitch or spruce-gum are rendered thereby so repulsive that the fancy refuses to pursue the horror farther and imagine it tobacco […]
- 1907, Barbara Baynton, Sally Krimmer; Alan Lawson, editors, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 221:
- For a time she could not soothe nor convince him that it was fancy.
- An image or representation of anything formed in the mind.
- Synonyms: conception, thought, idea
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:
- How now, my lord! why do you keep alone, / Of sorriest fancies your companions making, / Using those thoughts which should indeed have died / With them they think on?
- An opinion or notion formed without much reflection.
- Synonym: impression
- 1650, John Bulwer, Anthropometamorphosis: Man Transform’d, 2nd edition, London, 1653, Epistle Dedicatory, pp. 2-3,[2]
- When you have well viewed the Scenes and Devillish shapes of this Practicall Metamorphosis, and scan’d them in your serious thoughts, you will wonder at their audacious phant’sies, who seeme to hold Specificall deformities, or that any part can seeme unhandsome in their Eyes, which hath appeared good and beautifull unto their Maker […]
- 1693, [John Locke], “(please specify the section number)”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], OCLC 1161614482:
- I have always had a Fancy, that Learning might be made a Play and Recreation to Children […]
- 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, OCLC 1029993343:
- I dare say I am merely a foolish woman with a young girl's fancies.
- A whim.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:whim
- I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.
- Love or amorous attachment.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:predilection
- 1967, Sleigh, Barbara, Jessamy, 1993 edition, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 36:
- And they’ve taken a fancy to me, Aunt said. Kitto and the others. That means they like me.
- He took a fancy to her.
- The object of inclination or liking.
- c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:
- For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself / To fit your fancies to your father’s will;
- Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
- Synonyms: hobby; see also Thesaurus:hobby
- Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.
- the cat fancy
- The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fan
- He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.
- 1830, Thomas De Quincey, “Review of Life of Richard Bentley, D.D. by J.H. Monk, D.D.” in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 28, No. 171, September 1830, p. 446, footnote,[3]
- […] at a great book sale in London, which had congregated all the Fancy, on a copy occurring, not one of the company but ourself knew what the mystical title-page meant.
- A diamond with a distinctive colour.
- That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
- 18th century, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving Land, cited in Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, 1755,[4]
- London-pride is a pretty fancy, and does well for borders.
- 18th century, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving Land, cited in Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, 1755,[4]
- A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.
- a French fancy; a fondant fancy; cream fancies
- (obsolete) A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
- c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:
- [He] sung those tunes to the overscutch’d huswifes that he heard the carmen whistle, and sware they were his fancies or his good-nights.
- In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
- 1970, Marta Weigle, Follow my fancy: the book of jacks and jack games (page 22)
- When you have mastered plainsies, the regular jack game, and have learned all the rules, you will be ready to use this part of the book. A fancy is a variation of plainsies which usually requires more skill than plainsies does.
- 2002, Elizabeth Dana Jaffe, Sherry L. Field, Linda D. Labbo, Jacks (page 26)
- When you get good at jacks, try adding a fancy. A fancy is an extra round at the end of a game. It makes the game a little harder. Jack Be Nimble, Around the World, or Black Widow are some fancies.
- 1970, Marta Weigle, Follow my fancy: the book of jacks and jack games (page 22)
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
The imagination; the image-making power of the mind
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An image formed in the mind
A whim
An opinion formed without much reflection
Love or amorous attachment
Any sport or hobby pursued by a group
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The enthusiasts of such a pursuit
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AdjectiveEdit
fancy (comparative fancier, superlative fanciest)
- Decorative, or featuring decorations, especially intricate or diverse ones.
- Synonyms: decorative, ornate
- Antonyms: plain, simple
- This is a fancy shawl.
- Of a superior grade.
- Synonym: high-end
- This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.
- Executed with skill.
- He initiated the game-winning play with a fancy deked saucer pass to the winger.
- (colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated.
- Synonym: highfalutin
- Antonym: simple
- I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.
- (obsolete) Extravagant; above real value.
- 1859, Thomas Macaulay, The Life of Frederick the Great:
- This anxiety never degenerated into a monomania, like that which led his [Frederick the Great's] father to pay fancy prices for giants.
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
TranslationsEdit
decorative
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Of a superior grade
Executed with skill
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(colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated
AdverbEdit
fancy (not comparable)
- (nonstandard) In a fancy manner; fancily.
- 1970, Troy Conway, The Cunning Linguist, London: Flamingo Books, page 131:
- I igonored it, hurdling her navel, riding her torso and taking both her breasts in my hands and mashing them none too fancy.
Etymology 2Edit
From Middle English fancien, fantasien, fantesien, from Old French fantasier, from the noun (see above)).
VerbEdit
fancy (third-person singular simple present fancies, present participle fancying, simple past and past participle fancied)
- (formal) To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
- I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.
- (Britain) would like
- Synonym: feel like
- I fancy a burger tonight for dinner.
- Do you fancy going to town this weekend?
- (Britain, informal) To be sexually attracted to.
- Synonym: (US) like
- I fancy that girl over there.
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
- How can you fancie one that lookes so fierce, / Onely diſpoſed to martiall Stratagems? / UUho when he ſhal embrace you in his arms / UUil tell how many thouſand men he ſlew.
- (dated or in a set phrase) To imagine, suppose.
- [dated] I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey.
- I fancy this is an error.
- Fancy meeting you here!
- Fancy that! I saw Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy kissing in the garden.
- You won't get the gig just because you fancy yourself a musician.
- a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, OCLC 6963663:
- If our search has reached no farther than simile and metaphor, we rather fancy than know.
- 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], OCLC 55746801, page 128:
- Quiet and dark, beside him stood the Phantom, with its outstretched hand. When he roused himself from his thoughtful quest, he fancied from the turn of the hand, and its situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen Eyes were looking at him keenly. It made him shudder, and feel very cold.
- 1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, OCLC 1061908157:
- He fancied he was welcome, because those around him were his kinsmen.
- 1895 May 7, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter X, in The Time Machine: An Invention, New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, OCLC 4701980:
- I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable.
- 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 22, in The Dust of Conflict:
- Appleby […] rose from his seat when Morales came in. He shook hands urbanely, unbuckled his sword, and laid his kepi on the table, and then sat down with an expression of concern in his olive face which Appleby fancied was assumed.
- To form a conception of; to portray in the mind.
- Synonym: imagine
- 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis; John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Seventh Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: Printed for Jacob Tonson […], OCLC 80026745:
- he whom I fancy, but can ne'er express
- To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
- 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene iii]:
- We fancy not the cardinal.
- (transitive) To breed (animals) as a hobby.
- 1973, American Pigeon Journal (page 159)
- I would recommend this little book very highly to anyone who fancies pigeons, novices and veterans alike.
- 1973, American Pigeon Journal (page 159)
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
To imagine
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To be sexually attracted to
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would like to
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See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ “φαντασία”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Further readingEdit
GermanEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from English fancy. Doublet of Fantasie.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
fancy (indeclinable)
- (colloquial, fashion) fancy
- Synonym: schick
DeclensionEdit
Indeclinable.
Further readingEdit
Norwegian BokmålEdit
EtymologyEdit
AdjectiveEdit
fancy (indeclinable)
ReferencesEdit
- “fancy” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian NynorskEdit
EtymologyEdit
AdjectiveEdit
fancy (indeclinable)
ReferencesEdit
- “fancy” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.