Also fugelman, fugal man, flugleman, flugelman. [ad. Ger. flügelmann leader of the file, f. flügel wing + mann MAN.] A soldier especially expert and well drilled, formerly placed in front of a regiment or company as an example or model to the others in their exercises.
1804. Morn. Chron., in Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1805), VIII. 117. Time has utterly deprived these stiffening limbs of mine of all power to spring through the rapid motions of the fugleman.
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb. (1861), 143. Several times was Antony obliged to stand forth like a fugleman and repeat the sign.
1814. W. Taylor, in Monthly Rev., LXXIV. 271. Like the flugelman of a regiment, he over-acts the movements which he would excite in others.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., I. V. v. 579. This Hohmann was now Flügelmann (fugleman as we have named it, leader of the file).
1886. H. F. Lester, Under Two Fig Trees, 229. With the captain as volunteer fugleman the colony quickly enrolled.
transf. and fig.
1814. J. Gilchrist, Reason, 44. If I must be driven forth of the classic garden merely because I wont hold my spade, or use my prunning hook after the example of some great gardener who has been made flugle-man to all generations, let me have all the world beside to range in.
1827. Syn. Smith Wks. (1859) II. 120/2. When soldiers exercise, there stands a goodly portly person out of the ranks, upon whom all eyes are directed, and whose signs and motions, in the performance of the manual exercise, all the soldiers follow. The Germans, we believe, call him a Flugelman. We propose Lord Nugent as a political flugelman;he is always consistent, plain, and honest, steadily and straightly pursuing his object without hope or fear, under the influence of good feelings and high principle. The House of Commons does not contain within its walls a more honest, upright man.
1845. Miall, in Nonconf., V. 33. What! must the state be fugleman to Gods worshipers, that all may assume the same posture and bow alike?
1847. Alb. Smith, Chr. Tadpole, xliv. (1879), 388. Taking a wand in his hand, he commenced his lecture, Skittler acting as fugleman for the approbation, which was judiciously thrown in from time to time.
1855. E. Forbes, Lit. Papers, vi. 168. Popular guides to public collections are seldom of more value than the explanations of the fugleman of a raree-show.
1875. F. Hall, Early Traveling Experiences in India, in Lippincotts Mag., XV. March. 342/2. I picked out their fugleman, a well-grown boar, and fired. He was only wounded, and immediately gave chase after me.
Hence Fuglemanship, the office and duties of a fugleman. Also by substitution, Fuglewoman, a woman who gives a signal.
1845. Carlyle, Cromwell (1871), I. 37. Not the smallest regularity of fuglemanship or devotional drill-exercise.
1868. Daily Tel., 27 May. Miss Tickletoby well acting as fuglewoman to her eight-and-twenty boarders, waves her virtuous pocket-handkerchief in response to the salutations from a drag full of roystering young guardsmen.