Forms: 6 fisegig, fysgygge, 6–7 fisgigg, 7 fisguigge, 9 fizzgig, 6– fisgig, 7– fizgig. [A compound of GIG, which had the senses: 1. frivolous person (Chaucer); 2. whipping-top (Shaks.); the first element is obscure, but may perh. be identical with FISE. The Swiss-Ger. fisigugg, foolish busybody, can hardly be connected. Sense 3 seems to have been suggested by that of FIZZ without regard to the second element. Sense 4 was app. taken from Sp. fisga harpoon.]
1. A light, frivolous woman, fond of running or ‘gadding’ about; = GIG.
a. 1529. Skelton, Elynour Rummyng, 538.
| Than sterte forth a fysgygge, | |
| And she broughte a bore pygge. |
1596. Gosson, Pleasant Quippes for Gentlewomen, 13.
| For when you looke for praises sound, | |
| Then are you for light fisgiggs crownde. |
1611. Cotgr., Trotiere, a raumpe, fisgig.
1656. S. Holland, Don Zara (1719), 140. Will you cast away that life which was given you to redeem others from death and destruction for a Fis-gig, a flurt, a fickle, fantastick, fallacious, foolish Female?
1872. Browning, Fifine, xxxiii. 45.
| In short, prefers to me—chaste, temperate, serene— | |
| What sputters green and blue, this fizgig called Fifine! |
1877. N. W. Linc. Gloss., Fizgig, an ugly woman; a woman dressed in a strange or unbecoming manner.
2. (See quots.)
1656–81. Blount, Glossogr., Fizgig [1681, Fisgig] is a kind of Top, which boyes play with.
1883. Hampsh. Gloss., Fiz-gig, a whirligig; a round piece of iron or brass, serrated at the rim; through two holes near the centre, a piece of whipcord is passed. When set in motion by the twisting of the string, either in the air or in water, it makes a whizzing, hissing, or fizzing noise.
3. A kind of firework; a squib.
1644. Nye, Gunnery, II. (1647), 91, heading. How to make Fisgigs, which some call by the name of Serpents, and to use them.
1668. J. White, Rich Cab. (ed. 4), 87. The serpents or fisgigs are made about the bignesse of ones little finger, by rowling a paper upon a small stone, (as it was for your Stars) and choaking the paper coffin an inch from the end, then fill it three inches with powder-dust.
1886. Dowden, Shelley, I. vii. 306. If there was a struggle in Shelley’s breast between the rival attractions of wisdom on the lips of an elderly philosopher and of fiery fizgigs in the hands of a pair of gleeful boys, the struggle was quickly decided in favour of youth and frolic and fireworks.
4. A kind of harpoon.
Perverted into FISHGIG. The GIG which appears in this sense from 18th c. is perh. a shortened form.
1565. J. Sparke, in Hakluyt, Voy., III. 520. Those bonitos … being galled by a fisgig did follow our shippe comming out of Guinea 500 leagues.
1668. D. Smith, Voy. Constantinople, in Misc. Cur. (1708), III. 31. A Fisgig, a kind of barbed Iron, at the End of a Pole tyed fast to a Rope.
1798. Acc. Bks., in Ann. Reg., 460. Spears, fizgigs, or other articles.
5. In various senses suggested by the grotesque sound of the word or by association with FIZZ: a. A piece of tawdry finery, a gim-crack. b. A silly notion, an absurd crotchet. c. To make fizgigs: app. some drawing-room pastime (perh. in sense 2).
1822. Southey, in Quarterly Review, XXVIII. Oct., 26. The Romish church have done in introducing modes of devotion, with their outward and visible signs—the banderoles, and humgigs, and fizzgigs of superstition.
1824. Blackw. Mag., XVI. Sept., 287/2. You soon take a fine fizgig into your head.
1825. T. H. Lister, Granby, I. viii. (1826), 103–4. They [the Miss Cliftons] were always an courant du jour, and knew and saw the first of every thing … were the first who made fizgigs, or acted charades.
Hence † Fizgig v. intr., to run or gad about.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 32. Why should I goe gadding and fisgigging after firking flantado amphibologies, wit is wit, and good will is good will.
