Fig

subs. (colloquial).—1.  A gesture of contempt made by thrusting forth the thumb between the fore and middle ringers: whence the expression ‘I do not care, or would not give, a fig for you.’ Fr., je ne voudrais pas en donner un ferret d’aiguillette. Cf., CARE, and for other similes of worthlessness, see CURSE, STRAW, RUSH, CHIP, CENT, DAM, etc. [Italian: When the Milanese revolted against the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, they set his Empress hind before upon a mule, and thus expelled her. Frederick afterwards besieged and took the city, and compelled all his prisoners, on pain of death, to extract with his (or her) teeth a fig from the fundament of a mule and, the thing being done, to say in announcement, ‘ecco la fica.’ Thus far la fica became an universal mode of derision. Fr., faire la figue; Ger., die Feigen weisen; It., far le fiche; Dutch, De vÿghe setten.

  1599.  SHAKESPEARE, Henry V., iii. 6. Pistol. Die and be damned and FICO for thy friendship. Fluellen. It is well. Pistol. The FIG of Spain.

  1610.  JONSON, The Alchemist, i. 1.

  1821.  P. EGAN, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1890], p. 106. A FIG for each bum.

  1881.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. vi.

  1882.  Punch, vol. LXXXII., p. 185, col. 2 (q.v.).

  2.  (common).—Dress. [From FIG, verb. sense = that which shows off a man or woman, as a fig of ginger shows off a horse. Cf., quot., 1819, in FIG UP.] IN FULL FIG = in full dress.

  1861.  T. HUGHES, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. i. He waits on me in hall, where we go IN FULL FIG of cap and gown at five, and get very good dinners, and cheap enough.

  1873.  Cassell’s Magazine, Jan., p. 246, col. 2. ‘London Cured.’ They are rather prone to dress flashily, and wear when IN FULL FIG no end of jewellery.

  3.  (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see MONOSYLLABLE.

  Verb (stable).—To ginger a horse. [For origin, see subs. sense.]

  TO FIG OUT, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To show off; to dress; to don one’s WAR PAINT (q.v.). [From the verb.]

  1825.  C. M. WESTMACOTT, The English Spy, vol. I, p. 177. Eglantine (to the ostler). Well, Dick, what sort of a stud, hey?… Come, FIG OUT two lively ones.

  1884.  W. C. RUSSELL, Jack’s Courtship, ch. vi. He began to inveigh against the waiter’s costume, as he styled the dress I had FIGGED myself OUT in.

  TO FIG UP, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To restore; to reanimate (as a gingered horse).

  1819.  T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 24.