sb. and a. Also fallol. [One of the many reduplicating formations expressing the notion of something trivial or gaudy; cf. knick-knack, gew-gaw. The suggestion may have been given by FALBALA.] A. sb.
1. A piece of finery or frippery, a showy adornment in dress. Chiefly pl.
a. 1706. Evelyn (Fairholt). His dress, his bows and fine fal-lalls.
1718. Mrs. Centlivre, Bold Stroke for Wife, II. And thou do’st really think those Fallals becometh thee?
1775. T. Sheridan, Art Reading, 88. One of their painted Courtezans, adorned with fripperies and fallals.
1816. Scott, Old Mortal., xxxix. ‘It was an idle fancy,’ Ailie said, ‘to dress the honest auld man in thae expensive fal-lalls that he ne’er wore in his life, instead of his douce Raploch grey, and his band wi’ the narrow edging.’
1861. Sala, Dutch Pictures, viii. 121. They insisted upon trying their new bonnets, shawls, scarfs, and similar feminine fallals, upon her.
2. dial. Affectation in manner, fussy show of politeness.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., s.v. ‘I canna believe a word ’e says ’e’s so much fallal about ’im.’
1887. Darlington, Folk-speech S. Cheshire, Gloss. ‘He’s too much fallol about him to pleease me.’
3. = FA-LA.
1864. Reader, 17 Sept., 364. The slow dance with its ‘fal-lal’ burthen.
† B. adj. Affected, finicking, foppish. Obs.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa, I. xiii. 291. The family-plate too, in such quantities, of two or three generations standing, must not be changed, because his precious child, humouring his old fal-lal taste, admired it, to make it all her own.
1768. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary, 17 July. I was so sick of the ceremony and fuss of these fall lall people!
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxv. Your cockups and your fallal duds.
† b. absol. To be a little upon the fal-lal: to border on the affected.
1754. Richardson, Grandison, V. xvi. The lady is a little upon the fallal.
