subs. (old).—1. A counterfeit signature; a forgery; specifically a begging letter or petition. Fr., brasser des faffes = to forge documents, i.e., ‘TO SCREEVE FAKEMENTS’; un fafiot (also a bank note, or shoe); and une luque or un luquet.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Tell the macers to mind their FAKEMENTS, desire the swindlers to be careful not to forge another person’s signature.
1856. H. MAYHEW, The Great World of London, p. 46. Dependents of beggars; as screevers or the writers of ‘slums’ (letters) and ‘FAKEMENTS’ (petitions).
1857. DUCANGE ANGLICUS, pseud. The Vulgar Tongue, p. 39. Lawyer Bob draws FAKEMENTS up; he’s tipped a peg for each.
1889. Answers, 27 July, p. 137, col. 1. I have drawn up FAKEMENTS for sham members of almost every trade, always using a leading name at the head of the list of donors.
2. (common).—Generic for dishonest practices; but applied to any kind of action, contrivance, or trade.—See FAKE, subs., of which it is an older usage. Cf., KIDMENT.
1838. GLASCOCK, Land Sharks and Sea Gulls, II., 4. That’s right; I see you’re fly to every FAKEMENT.
1857. DUCANGE ANGLICUS, pseud. The Vulgar Tongue, p. 44, ‘The Leary Man.’
| For every day, mind what I say, | |
| Fresh FAKEMENTS you will find. |
1859. H. KINGSLEY, Recollections of Geoffry Hamlyn, ch. v. I cultivated his acquaintance, examined his affairs, and put him up to the neatest little FAKEMENT in the world.
1878. C. HINDLEY, The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack, p. 232.
| Stow your gab and gauffery, | |
| To every FAKEMENT I’m a fly. | |
| Ibid., p. 233. | |
| I have a pair of highly polished steel spring snuffers with extra FAKEMENT; they will either snuff a candle out or snuff a candle in. |
1877. W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iv. 254. ‘Well, you worked that little FAKEMENT in a blooming quiet way, I’m blowed if you havn’t,’ said my late neighbour.
1883. Daily Telegraph, 7 Aug., p. 6, col. 2. Pair of moleskins [trousers], any colour … with a double FAKEMENT down the sides, and artful buttons at the bottom.
3. (theatrical).—Small properties; accessories.
