or fullams, subs. (old).Loaded dice; called high or low FULHAMS as they were intended to turn up high or low. Cf., GOURDS. [Conjecturally, because manufactured at Fulham, or because that village was a notorious resort of blacklegs.] For synonyms, see UPHILLS.
1594. NASHE, The Unfortunate Traveller, in wks. v., 27. The dice of late are growen as melancholy as a dog, high men and low men both prosper alike, langrets, FULLAMS, and all the whole fellowshippe of them will not affoord a man his dinner.
1596. SHAKESPEARE, Merry Wives of Windsor, i. 3.
Pist. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd, and FULLAM holds, | |
And high and low beguile the rich and poor. |
1599. JONSON, Every Man out of his Humour, iii., 1. Car. Who! he serve? sblood, he keeps high men, and low men, he! he hasfair living at Fullam. [Whalleys note in Giffords Jonson, The dice were loaded to run high or low; hence they were called high men or low men, and sometimes high and low FULLAMS. Called FULLAMS either because F. was the resort of sharpers, or because they were chiefly made there.]
1664. BUTLER, Hudibras, Part II., C. i., l. 642.
But I do wonder you should chuse | |
This way t attack me with your Muse, | |
As one cut out to pass your tricks on, | |
With FULHAMS of poetick fiction. |
1822. SCOTT, The Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xxiii. Men talk of high and low dice, FULHAMS and bristles and a hundred ways of rooking besides.
2. (colloquial).A sham; a MAKE-BELIEVE (q.v.). [From sense 1.]
1664. BUTLER, Hudibras, ii., 1. FULHAMS of poetick fiction.