Part 10
=Florentine=—(1) a heavy silk fabric, woven figured or plain twilled, chiefly used for waistcoats; (2) a worsted waistcoating material; (3) a twilled cotton fabric for summer trousers.
=Floret=—trade term for the longest and finest fibers of spun silk (qv) after carding. (=Fleuret.=)
=Florist=—a shopkeeper with whom young dandies become intimate before marriage and forget afterward.
=Flossy=—giddy, foppish, fussy, affected (perhaps both in brain and apparel).
=Flower buttonhole=—see Lapel b.
=Flunky=—(1) liveried man-servant; (2) a toady.
=Flush=—to float or pass weft threads over several warp threads, as in twill and satin weaving.
=Flushing coat=—something worn about 1825, but not identified.
=Fly=—a placket for closing or fastening together sides or parts of a garment, as of an overcoat or trousers, so as to conceal the buttons or other means of fastening. Specially designated as blind f., box f., French f., open f. (qv).
=Fly coat=—a long jacket reaching about half way to the knees, worn previous to the Revolution.
=Fly front=—tailoring term for coats made with an arrangement for concealing the buttons or other fastenings; a sort of placket of which the underpart engages the buttons, hooks, etc. Trousers also are f.-f. (except front falls).
=Fob=—(1) a pendant attachment to a watch, usually of silk, with gold buckle, slide, ring, seal or other ornament; an article of jewelry most variously made; (2) a watch pocket in a trousers waistband.
=Fob pocket=—see Watch p.
=Fob ribbon=—heavy, close-woven, plain edged gros-grain or fine ribbed faille silk r. made especially for watch fobs.
=Fold-back cuffs=—shirt c., usually attacht to the garment, made double or folded backward. Also called French c.
=Folded collar=—a double or folded-over shirt c., usually high banded.
=Folded cuffs=—see Fold-back c.
=Folding cane=—a walking stick with a concealed joint at about half its length, to enable it to fold and be carried in a suit case or grip.
=Fool’s cap=—a conical paper c. worn penitentially by the school cut-up.
=Foot bath=—a vessel for bathing the feet.
=Foot boy=—a boy in livery; a page.
=Foot cloth=—(1) a cloth or carpet to walk upon on occasions of ceremony; (2) a deep housing or state caparison for a horse; a sumptor c.
=Footease=—proprietary name for a powder to “shake into your shoes” as a fetich against walking aches.
=Foot-form=—shoes constructed on anatomical or foot-fitting lasts; orthopedic; waukenphast (qv).
=Foot glove=—a heavy, coarse woolen or felt oversock, worn over shoes while driving, etc., for warmth.
=Foot hawker=—a peripatetic peddler; a tray or pushcart merchant.
=Foot-mantle=—see Safeguard.
=Foot muff=—a muffler; a fur bag for the feet.
=Foot powder=—a chemical preparation shaken into the shoes for relieving perspiration, aches, odors, etc.
=Foot scraper=—see Shoe s.
=Foot-sheet=—a square or oblong cloth laid upon floor or chairs for invalids to sit upon during toilet, changing of bedding, etc.
=Foot-stone=—a small memorial tablet at the foot of a grave.
=Foot-straps=—the buckled straps used to hold down the pantaloons and trousers of the early part of the last century.
=Foot-warmer=—any contrivance for warming the feet in carriages, in bed, etc., as (1) a muff, (2) a metal container having slow-burning cartridges of carbon; (3) a hot brick; (4) a hot-water bottle; (5) an electric warming pad; (6) a night policeman’s club.
=Football jacket=—a sort of stout canvas cuirass, armless, laced up the front.
=Football leg guards=—see Shin g.
=Football mouthpiece=—protective chewing gum for scrimmages.
=Football pads=—quilted leather p. for elbows and shoulders, worn inside the jersey or sweater.
=Football pants=—knickerbockers of canvas, khaki, etc., padded, quilted, and sometimes with reed guards sewed into the upper leg.
=Football shoe=—a s. laced well down towards toes with ankle-padding, and spikes or cleats on soles.
=Footgear=—shoes and so forth.
=Foothold=—a light skeleton overshoe of rubber protecting the fore-sole, but without heel, kept on by a heel strap.
=Footman’s livery=—house dress: footman’s coat, valencia or plush waistcoat, trousers, shoes, white tie; or court l. (qv); on the carriage, he should wear the second man’s l.
=Fop=—cross between dandy and dude.
=Forage cap=—a small, low cloth c. with a peak, once worn by officers and men (U. S. A.) when not in dress uniform.
=Forchet=—old spelling of fourchette (qv).
=Forelock=—a lock of hair growing over the forehead.
=Forepart=—that part of a coat or vest covering the chest.
=Forest wool=—a textil fiber made from pine needles treated with a soda solution, and otherwise manipulated, spun and woven into a resemblance of coarse wool, and manufactured on a considerable scale into blankets and clothing of the cheaper grades, said to be warm and durable; called wald wolle in Germany, where best known. Compare Xylolin.
=Forester’s uniform=—(=Forestry service=) material a brownish green woolen or cotton khaki as adopted by the army; coat a combination of the army officer’s coat and a business sack coat, fitting snugly about chest but rather loosely about hips and waist, with blouse (Prussian) collar, 2 outside buttoned bellowsed pockets and bronze buttons of the service; vest optional (?); trousers either ordinary or cavalry style riding breeches; shirt of gray flannel with 2 buttoned breast pockets; hat of light-colored felt, similar to army service hat; riding boots or leggings should be worn with riding breeches and high-topt, heavy shoes, preferably of surveyor’s or hunting pattern, with trousers; gloves of buckskin, short or army gauntlet pattern; overcoat same as uniform material but heavier, double-breasted, ankle length, with deep riding vent, 2 inside and 2 outside vertical pockets, broad collar.
=Forestry cloth=—a twill woven, clear-finisht worsted fabric of standard olive-drab color, made in several weights for suitings, coatings, shirtings, etc. Adopted by the government for the forestry service.
=Fork=—the os coccygis; the crotch.
=Form=—tone, smartness, propriety, stylishness, carriage, appearance, demeanor.
=Form=—a model or dummy for trying on or displaying any article of apparel or other merchandise.
=Form fitting=—following the lines of the body closely.
=Forming=—a process in hat manufacture wherein the fur is attracted to a perforated fan by air-suction, then covered with cloths and dipped in warm water and afterward “hardened” by careful manipulation and rolling to make the fibers knit together.
=Forward stock=—the merchandise actually before the customer. Compare Reserve s.
=Foulard=—properly a light-weight silk fabric, woven plain or twilled, printed with an all-over pattern, the designs of which are white or color of the fabric, the background solid color.
=Fountain pen=—doubtless invented to spoil waistcoats.
=Four-cornered cap=—see Mortarboard.
=Four hole=—trade term for buttons pierced with 4 holes or eyes.
=Four hundred=—McAllisterian thaumaturgy.
=Fourchette=—the inner sides of glove fingers. If you will examine a glove it will be seen that it is cut all of one piece with the exception of the thumb and the fourchettes, for which the remaining fragments of the skin are used.
=Four-in-hand=—a long necktie narrow where it goes around the collar but with widened ends, tied in a sailor knot.
=Fownes=—trade diminutive for the general line of gloves made by Fownes Bros. & Co., London.
=Fox=—a piece of leather applied over the upper leather of a shoe, next to the sole, either for ornament or repair. See Foxed.
=Fox=—a canine mammal whose pelt is highly esteemed for winter garments.
=Fox tail=—see Wig.
=Foxt=—a word usually used as f. quarter, f. top or upper. Foxt designates a peculiar pattern or style for the upper of a shoe.
(=Foxed.=) See Fox.
=Frame=—the metal ribs of an umbrella.
=Frame made=—trade term for fabric gloves knitted without seams.
=Frameless spectacles=—s. (qv) without frame or rim around the lenses.
=Frangipanni=—a perfume derived from or imitating the odor of the (West Indian) red jasmin.
=Franklin avenue=—a street in St. Louis having a number of small cheap clothing shops (compare South street and Halstead street); a local synonym for cheap clothing.
=Fray=—to ravel, to loosen; employed in describing cloth too soft or too loosely woven to hold stitches in a raw edge or seam.
=Freak=—anything monstrous, extreme in style, vulgarly ostentatious; a senseless innovation; outre.
=French back=—trade term for a soft-twilled woolen backing of different weave from the face, formed on the underside of clear-finisht worsteds, as trouserings, and other fabrics, with the object of increasing weight or stability without adding appreciably to the cost, or as a means of reducing cost.
=French back=—an overcoat (a modification of a Chesterfield) with a graceful shapely back and a long center vent usually reaching to the waist line, the side seams to the waist line being commonly French prest inverted plaits; made to button in front with a fly or to button thru as in a body coat.
=French calf=—indicating calfskin shoe leather produced by (1) a particular and standard method of tanning or finishing; (2) a c. skin tanned and finished in France.
=French cambric=—a very fine quality of cambric used for handkerchiefs, etc.
=French coney=—imitation sealskin.
=French cuffs=—see Fold-back c.
=French edge=—in leather goods manufacture, as luggage, an edge seamed outwardly, sewn thru and thru; “cobbler sewed”.
=French facing=—the inside cloth facing of a coat, so cut as to extend around the armholes.
=French fall=—see Falling band.
=French falls=—the top boots of the XVI. century, having wide, flaring tops that were turned down and then turned up again; also known as bucket tops.
=French felling=—in tailoring a method of holding two pieces of material together, as the forepart and the facing of an edge. The parts to be joined are laid flat, edges even, right sides within. The needle is past straight thru, at right angles with the edge and close to it from underneath, upwards. The goods are then turned right side out and the edge finisht with stitching as desired, the felling being intended to hold the edge and prevent raveling.
=French fly=—see Blind f.
=French foot=—trade term for hosiery made with a single seam in the center of the sole. See English f.
=French neck=—(1) in tailoring, meaning a finish given to the back of the neck of a waistcoat by means of a double strip of lining material instead of the cloth from which the garment is made, for purposes of thinness, permitting the coat collar to set closer to the shirt c.; (2) in underwear, a crocheted instead of a welted or seamed n.
=French percale=—see Percale.
=French prest=—tailoring term applied usually to seams that are sharply prest; as, the skirts of dress and frock coats; inverted plaits in sack and overcoats. (F. pressed.)
=French seal=—“electric” seal; imitation.
=French seams=—first sewed outside out, then turned in and sewed again, so that the edges of the seam are concealed.
=French serge=—a fine twilled, closely woven s.
=French sizes=—name given to various peculiar methods of designating the sizes of shoes by stamping numerals or letters on the inside lining of the shoe. See Appendix.
=French system=—weaving term for worsted yarns spun on mules, usually from shorter staple than required for the Bradford s. (qv), well adapted for soft-faced goods and velour finishes.
=French toe=—in shoemaking, a wide, plain t. without cap.
=French waist=—trade term for trousers made without a sewed-on waistband.
=French yarns=—worsted y. combed dry, without oil, resulting in a fairly fuzzy or wooly strand, but which, however, is less liable to shrink than y. spun by the English system. Compare English y.
=Fribble=—a trifling or frivolous affectation or fad.
=Fried egg=—a low flat hat.
=Friend=—a borrower.
=Frieze=—a thick, stout, double-woven, napt woolen overcoating, woven of long fleece doubled after spinning, thoroly fulled after weaving and slightly felted until waterproof and windproof, and finisht with a long, unsheared shaggy nap. Said to have originated in Friesland, whence name, but better known thru the Irish or near-Irish varieties.
=Fright wig=—general term for any monstrosity in the (theatrical) wig line.
=Frill=—an ornamental strip of material gathered at the attacht edge, the other edge being free; a flounce; a ruffle.
=Frills=—affected airs or manners in dress or ornament; fopperies.
=Frippery=—tawdry finery.
=Frize holland=—a superior grade of fine bleacht Holland linen, once used largely for shirts, etc.
=Frock-Chesterfield=—a single-breasted, fly-front overcoat, with a waist seam, a three-seam back as in a frock coat, and with skirts without plaits (1907).
=Frock coat=—properly a c. either single or double-breasted, constructed of parts known as forepart (which in double-breasted coats is divided at the front line of the chest), sidebody, divided backpart and skirt, of each 2, the backparts continuing down to the bottom, joining with the skirt parts and forming the plaits behind, in which pockets are sometimes placed; when the skirts in front are cutaway from a point near the waistline the word cutaway is prefixt to distinguish from the more formal garment, “Prince Albert”, as the double-breasted f. is commonly known; the “cutaway frock” (of which the [English] walking c. is a variation) is almost invariably single-breasted and consequently not made with divided foreparts.
=Frock coat=—(=navy=) for all officers, a c. similar in cut to a civilian’s f. c., but of dark blue cloth, double-breasted, with 2 rows of large navy buttons, 9 each, buttoning on the six lower buttons; the sleeves, collar and shoulders bearing the insignia prescribed for the rank of the wearer.
=Frocking=—coarse cotton jean; drilling; dungaree; fustian.
=Frog=—an ornamental cloak or coat button or fastening of silk or wool crocheted or braided in various fancy forms.
=Frog=—(1) an old term for a seaman’s coat or frock; (2) a leather pocket or case for a pistol, bayonet or cutlass.
=Front=—a one-word epigram for appearance—clothes, manners, etc.
=Front facing=—in coat and vest making the strip of goods forming the inside forepart or edge of the garment.
=Front-falls=—trousers not made with a single fly-opening, but with a wide front flap, buttoning on both sides.
=Frosts=—spiked soles for walking on ice (early 18th century).
=Fudge wheeling=—an ornamental process in the finishing of the edges of shoe soles.
=Full-baste=—tailoring term for a coat or other garment ready for try-on with every seam basted, instead of some of the seams being sewed up.
=Full bellows tongue=—a tongue in a laced shoe, attacht to both sides of the tops of the shoe at the opening and filling completely this opening.
=Full bottom=—see Wig.
=Full box=—lingo for a very loose effect in overcoats.
=Full chested=—bulgy.
=Full dress=—see Evening d.
=Full dress=—(=army=) the prescribed uniform worn on state occasions at home and abroad; when receiving or calling upon the President or upon the ruler or member of royal family of other countries; and at ceremonies and entertainments when it is desirable to do special honor to the occasion, or when f. d. is prescribed for enlisted men. For general officers, dismounted; f. d. coat and trousers, chapeau, epaulets, sash, white gloves, f. d. belt, saber, black shoes; same, mounted: f. d. coat, dress breeches, f. d. cap, shoulder knots, sash, drab leather gloves, f. d. belt, saber, black boots, spurs; officers of staff corps and departments: officers of cavalry, artillery, infantry and engineers, dismounted: f. d. coat and trousers, f. d. cap, white gloves, f. d. belt, saber, black shoes, and aigulets and shoulder belts for those authorized to wear them; same, mounted: f. d. coat, dress breeches, f. d. cap, drab leather gloves, f. d. belt, black boots, spurs; aigulets and shoulder belts as authorized; chaplains, dismounted: f. d. coat and trousers, chaplain’s hat, white gloves, black shoes; same, mounted: f. d. coat, dress breeches, drab leather gloves, black boots, spurs, chaplain’s hat; for enlisted men, worn at reviews, parades, and other ceremonies under arms, unless otherwise prescribed; dismounted: dress coat, with breast cord, dress trousers, dress cap, black shoes, white gloves, russet leather belt and cartridge box; mounted: dress coat with breast cord, dress breeches, dress cap, leggings, russet leather shoes, drab leather gloves, spurs, saber belt, and cartridge box (when prescribed).
=Full dress=—(=navy=) worn on ceremonial occasions such as making or exchanging visits with officers of flag rank, foreign officials, etc., and on ceremonies and entertainments where “dress” is not sufficient. Consists of—for all commissioned officers, except chaplains, chief boatswains, chief gunners, chief carpenters and chief sailmakers: f. d. trousers, cockt hat, epaulets, sword and f. d. belt, scarf, white gloves, medals and badges; for the officers excepted above and for warrant officers, mates and clerks, the same as “Undress A”, and for midshipmen, the same as prescribed for commissioned officers, substituting the blue cap for the cockt hat and shoulder knots for epaulets.
=Full dress=—(=marine corps=) to be worn by officers on occasions of ordinary ceremony, such as usual reviews, inspections, street parades, etc.; by enlisted men on occasions of ceremony when officers appear in special f. d. or f. d. uniform, and when ordered by commanding officer; and by members of the band on occasions of parades or reviews when officers appear in special f. d. or f. d. uniform and when ordered by commanding officer. Consists of—for major general commanding: f. d. coat, f. d. or white trousers, chapeau, f. d. cap or white helmet, sash, sword with f. d. belt and knot, shoulder knots, white gloves, black shoes, white standing collar (or, when mounted, dark blue riding breeches, drab leather gloves, black boots with spurs); for officers of the line: a similar uniform except no chapeau or sash; for officers of staff: a similar uniform except aigulets instead of shoulder knots, no chapeau or sash; for enlisted men (including non-commissioned officers, drummers and trumpeters): f. d. coat, blue or white trousers, f. d. cap or white helmet, white gloves, black leather shoes, arms and accouterments as ordered; for leader, drum-major and all members of band: f. d. coat, blue or white trousers, special f. d. cap or white helmet (shako for drum-major only), epaulets (leader only), shoulder knots, aigulets (except for drum-major) sword with f. d. knot and belt, (leader only) white gloves, black leather shoes, accouterments as ordered.
=Full dress=—(=revenue cutter service=) worn by officers on occasions of special ceremony and quarterly muster on board vessels of first and second rate; first visits to commanders of war vessels and military posts, parades of ceremony, etc.; consists of frock coat, plain dark blue trousers, epaulets, chapeau, sword, f. d. belt and sword knot.
=Full dress belt=—for naval officers of the rank of rear admiral and higher, of dark blue cloth with gold stripes of prescribed widths and with blue cloth sling straps likewise decorated; for commissioned officers, with certain exceptions, of dark blue silk webbing, with woven gold stripes.
=Full dress breeches=—(=marine corps=) for all mounted officers, of same material, and with same stripes, as f. d. trousers cut as prescribed for field b.; worn with black boots and spurs.
=Full dress cap=—(=army=) for all officers, a c. of dark blue cloth, with drooping visor of black patent leather and a flat gold cap-strap, with bands of gold lace and velvet and insignia according to rank.
=Full dress cap=—(=marine corps=) of fine dull finisht dark blue cloth, the sides 3¾ in. deep in front and 3½ in. in back, the top flat and slightly oval and flaring out slightly, the visor dropt at an angle of about 60° from the horizontal. For major general commandant, having a band of dark blue velvet 1¾ in. wide, embroidered all around with gold oak leaves, the visor covered with dark blue cloth, the top trimmed with loops of narrow gold soutache braid, and otherwise finisht and decorated as prescribed. For all other officers, the same, except the band is of gold lace; the visor for officers of line and staff to be ornamented with gold thread, and for company officers and captains in the staff of plain black patent leather; for non-commissioned officers, drummers, trumpeters and privates, a similar c., but with a band of scarlet cloth lapseamed to blue sides, red worsted soutache ornament on top of c.; other details per specifications; for leader of the band, second leader and musicians, same as prescribed for special full dress. For drum-major, a shako of black lambskin, 8½ in. high in front, 10 in. high in back, plain red cloth top and red cloth bag trimmed with gold soutache braid, gilt chin strap form under chin, and 12 in. red, white and blue vulture feather plume on right side.
=Full dress coat=—(=army=) a double-breasted frock c. of dark blue cloth with a standing collar, 2 gilt buttons at back of waist and 1 near the end of each plait behind; the skirt to extend from one-half to three-quarters of the distance from hip to knee. For general officers: collar and cuffs of blue-black velvet; for other officers, collar of same material as c., no cuffs. Buttons in front: for general, 2 rows of 12, placed by 4’s; lieutenant general, 2 rows of 10, placed 3 upper and lower, 4 in middle; major general, 2 rows of 9, placed by 3’s; colonel, lieutenant colonel and major, 2 rows of 9, spaced equally; captain, first and second lieutenants, 2 rows of 7 equally spaced. For chief of engineers, same as for general officers, except that a piping of scarlet velvet appears on upper and outer edges of lapels, continuing down the edges of the coat to bottom of skirt and from top of back flaps to bottom of skirt, with a skirt facing of scarlet velvet; for other officers of engineer corps, similar piping and facing, but of scarlet cloth. For all officers, sleeve, collar and shoulder ornaments as prescribed by regulation.
=Full dress coat=—(=marine corps=) for major general commandant and all line officers, a double-breasted frock c. of dark blue cloth, in length 1 in. below crotch, with standing collar, 2 rows of large marine corps buttons wider apart at top than at bottom (9 placed in 3’s for major general commandant, 8 equidistant for other officers), 2 pockets in skirt folds, collars and cuffs with trimmings prescribed for rank of wearer. For officers of staff, a single-breasted tunic of dark blue cloth, in length 1 in. below crotch, with closed skirt behind, trimmed as for line officers, but without pockets, standing collar, and with trimmings as prescribed; aigulets and shoulder knots with f. d. and special f. d. For non-commissioned officers and privates, a single-breasted tunic of dark blue cloth, reaching 1 in. below crotch, 8 large marine corps buttons in front and 2 in back at end of waist seam, standing collar, the coat piped down front, around the bottom and up the plaits of the skirt to waist seam with ⅛ in. scarlet cloth; scarlet shoulder straps and sleeve bands and other details as prescribed. For drummers and trumpeters, a c. of the same style, except that it is of scarlet cloth with white piping, black collar, black shoulder straps and black sleeve bands, these straps piped with white; for leader of the band, a tunic of dark blue cloth, same patterns as prescribed for staff officers, except: the breast trimmed across with ⅛ in. gold tubular braid and 3 rows of marine corps buttons, 7 each row; cuffs trimmed as prescribed for first lieutenant without the scarlet backing. For second leader of band, a f. d. c. of scarlet cloth, made as prescribed for enlisted men of the line, except: the collar of black broadcloth piped with white; front and bottom edges and back of skirt plaits to waist piped with white; front trimmed across with black mohair braid (in the same manner as undress c. of officers) and with 3 rows of marine corps buttons, 7 each. For musicians of band, same as for second leader, except: with pointed cuffs of black broadcloth. For drum-major, same as prescribed, for second leader, except: collar of scarlet cloth trimmed with gold lace and piped with white cloth, breast trimmed with ½ in. gold tubular braid, pointed cuffs, outlined with ½ in. gold tubular braid. Other details per regulations.
=Full dress coat=—(=navy=) for bandsmen a single-breasted tunic of scarlet cloth, buttoned to the neck with 8 gilt buttons, standing collar, the front edges, bottom and skirt plaits (to waist seam) piped with white cloth, no outside pockets, shoulder decorations as prescribed.