Fancy v.

Also α. 6 fancie, 6–7 fansie, 8 fansy. β. 6–7 phancie, -cy, (6 phansie). [f. prec. sb. Cf. the older FANTASY v.]

  I.  With reference to mental conception.

  1.  trans. To frame in fancy; to portray in the mind; to picture to oneself; to conceive, imagine. Also (with notion of FANCY sb. 3), to suppose oneself to perceive.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. xii. 215. Severall nations and ages do fancy unto themselves different years of danger.

a. 1661.  Fuller, Worthies (1840), I. 110. It [Berkshire] may be fancied in a form like a lute.

1713.  Swift, Cadenus & Vanessa.

1748.  Hartley, Observations on Man, I. iii. 327. Fansying to ourselves a confused Heap of Things.

1769.  Junius, Lett. xx. 97. The author is … at liberty to fancy cases, and make … comparisons.

1860.  Thackeray, Four Georges, i. (1862), 31. I fancy a considerable shrewdness … in his ways.

  absol.  c. 1698.  Locke, Cond. Underst., § 31. If all our Search has yet reach’d no farther than simile … we rather fancie than know.

  b.  with simple complement, or to be: To imagine (a person, oneself, a thing) to be (so and so).

1662.  Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., III. iv. § 6. Some have fancyed the earth to bee as one great animal.

1696.  trans. Du Mont’s Voy. Levant, 61. I fansi’d my self restor’d from Death to Life, assoon as I enter’d that Resemblance of a Hog’s Stie, which was hot as a Stove.

1728.  Young, Love Fame, iii. Wks. (1757), I. 109.

1833.  Ht. Martineau, Vanderput & Snoek, i. 11. My mother is afraid of Heins making a show of his money, and learning to fancy himself richer than he is.

1856.  Kane, Arct. Expl., II. xxii. 218. I could have fancied it a walrus.

1869.  J. Martineau, Ess., II. 64. He fancies himself not in the senate, but on the bench.

  † c.  with inf. as obj. Obs.

1726.  J. M., trans. Tragic. Hist. Chev. de Vaudray, 157. He, at last, fancy’d to have found the Mystery of it.

1754.  A. Murphy, Gray’s-Inn Journal (1756), II. 194, No. 83. I fancied to myself to see my amiable Country-women engaged in a deep Debate.

  d.  with obj. and inf. or object clause. Also, † To represent imaginatively.

1551.  Bp. Gardiner, Explic. true Cath. Fayth, 137. Fansinge that as one waue in the water thrusteth away an other, so doth one fourme an other.

1630.  R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc., 64. The figure of Europe is fancied to resemble a Queene.

1631.  Sir R. Baker, trans. Letters of Mounsieur de Balzac (1654), ii. Those imployments, in which I fancy in my minde, we may spend our time all the time of the heat.

1654.  trans. Scudery’s Curia Politiæ, 5. A device … which fansied me to passe beyond Hercules’s Pillars.

a. 1682.  Sir T. Browne, Tracts (1683), iv. 107. In this military shpae, he is aptly phancied even still revengefully to pursue his hated Wife Progne.

1791.  Mrs. Radcliffe, The Romance of the Forest, x. She feared to look around, least she should again see some dreadful phantom, and she almost fancied she heard voices swell in the storm, which now shook the fabric.

1845.  M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 7. We read Bingham, and fancy we are studying ecclesiastical history.

  e.  In colloq. use often in the imperative as an exclamation of surprise. Also absol.

1834.  Medwin, Angler in Wales, I. 159. Fancy me boxed up in the narrow vehicle, and panting for breath in a shirt and pair of ‘pijammahs’ (drawers), and you may form some notion of the boasted and expensive luxury of a dâk in the rains.

1859.  J. Lang, Wand. India, 13. Fancy we three meeting again in the Himalaya mountains!

1861.  Thackeray, Round. Papers, On being found out, 126. Fancy all the boys in all the school being whipped.

1881.  R. Grant White, Eng. Without & Within, xvi. 388. Fancy, now! [in England] a very common expression of surprise.

  † f.  To fancy out: to represent by an image; to exemplify. Obs. rare.

1669.  Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., VI. 105. The two later Motions are fancied out unto us, by a Man turning a Crane-Wheel, or Grind-stone 365 times round, while a Worm struggling against, and contrary to that Motion, creeps once round the contrary way.

  2.  To believe without being able to prove; to have an idea that. Frequently in I fancy: I rather think.

1672.  Sir C. Lyttelton, in Hatton Corr. (1878), 99. I phancy the Dukes match w^th y^e Archduchesse is a little dulld, my thinkes.

1790.  T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), III. 162. This day, I fancy, will determine whether we are to be removed to Philadelphia or not.

1825.  Cobbett, Rur. Rides (1885), II. 33. The estate is, I fancy, theirs yet.

1883.  F. M. Peard, Contrad., I. xviii. 266. We fancy she is engaged to a Mr. Atherton.

  3.  To liken (a thing) in fancy † to; to transform (it) into. rare.

1646.  Buck, Rich. III., Ded. I fancy them to our shaddowes, which at noone creepe behind like Dwarfes, at evening, stalke by like Gyants.

1801.  Southey, Thalaba, IV. ix.

1868.  Lowell, Witchcraft, Prose Wks. 1890, II. 356. The first child that ever bestrode his father’s staff, and fancied it into a courser.

  † 4.  To arrange in or according to fancy, or with artistic taste; to contrive, devise, design, plan.

1624.  Massinger, Parl. Love, IV. ii.

1635.  Swan, Spec. M., v. § 2 (1643), 136. The appearance is like some gulf, hole, deep or pit: which they [painters] fashion diversly according to their skill in phancying the laying of their colours.

1665.  Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 145. The figure of a Horse preparing to defend himself against a Lion; but so rarely fancied as gains the Sculptor praise sufficient, the posture is so natural.

1716.  Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. (1763), I. vii. 32. The furniture, all rich brocades, so well fancied and fitted up, nothing can look more gay and splendid.

a. 1759.  Goldsm., The Bee, No. 2, 13 Oct. On Dress, Clothes … fancied by the artist who dresses the three battalions of Guards.

1759.  H. Martin, Nat. Hist. Eng., I. 298. The mourning Pallases at the Base of it [a martial Figure] are both well fansied and well adapted.

  † 5.  To allot or ascribe in fancy. Obs.

a. 1643.  W. Cartwright, Ordinary, IV. ii. I fancy’d you a beating.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. vi. 23. To fancy wings unto Dædalus.

1647.  N. Bacon, Discourse of the Laws & Government of England, I. lvi. (1682), 103. I see no reason why divers succeeding Kings, coming to the Crown by argument of the Sword, and not by right of Descent, may not deserve the Laurel as well as the first Norman King; onely because Fame hath fancied him that Title, under a kind of prescription, I do the like.

  6.  To have a good conceit of, plume oneself upon (oneself, one’s own actions or qualities). colloq.

1866.  Daily Tel., 20 Jan., 8/1. He ogles, he ‘fancies himself.’

1886.  H. Conway, Living or Dead, viii. I was conceited and fancied my game at whist.

  II.  With reference to fondness or liking.

  † 7.  a. To be to the fancy of; to please. b. To attach by ‘fancy’ or liking to. Obs. rare.

1566.  Painter, Pal. Pleas. (1890), III. 431. The sauourous fruict … that fansied the sensuall taste of Adam’s Wyfe.

c. 1590.  Greene, Fr. Bacon (1630), 17. Fast fancied to the Keepers bonny Lasse.

  8.  To take a fancy to; to entertain a liking for; to be pleased with; to like. a. with obj. a person. (In early use often = to be or fall in love with.)

1545.  Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke i. 54. The people of Israel … as a people more derely beloued and fansyed.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., II. 225. She went as simply as she might, to thentent that the king should not phansie her.

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., II. i. 12.

1614.  Raleigh, Hist. World, I. I. §8. 199. Ninus … fancied her so strongly, as, (neglecting all Princely respects) he took her from her husband.

1663–4.  Dryden, The Rival Ladies, I. ii.

1838.  Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., I. 95. Carlyle breakfasted with Thomas Moore the other morning, and fancied him.

  absol.  1588.  Greene, Perimedes, 53. Sheepheards can fancie, but they cannot saye.

1601.  Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 29. Should shee fancie, it should bee one of my complection.

1713.  Swift, Cadenus & Vanessa.

  b.  with obj. a thing; also † with inf. as obj.

1598.  B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., I. i.

1644.  Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 38–9. The Popes of Rome engrossing what they pleas’d of Politicall rule into their owne hands, extended their dominion over mens eyes, as they had before over their judgements, burning and prohibiting to be read, what they fansied not.

1669.  A. Browne, Ars Pictoria, App. (1675), 24. One phansies … to draw Pictures by the Life.

1727.  Pope, etc., Of the Art of Sinking in Poetry, 119. Throw all the adventures you fancy into one Tale.

1852.  Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xx. Miss Ophelia was uneasy that Eva should fancy Topsy’s society so much.

Mod.  The patient may eat anything that he fancies.

  III.  9. To breed (animals or birds); to grow (plants) so as to develop in them conventional ‘points’ of beauty. Also, simply to breed.

1851.  Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 15. Pigeons are ‘fancied’ to a large extent, and are kept in lath cages on the roofs of the houses.

1876.  [see FANCYING vbl. sb.].

  Hence Fancying vbl. sb., the action of the verb in various senses; also concr. something that one fancies.

1662.  Petty, Taxes, 6. Civil wars are … caused by peoples fansying that [etc.].

a. 1729.  S. Clarke, Serm., I. (1738), xl. 252. A childish and superstitious imagination, that God is pleased with their pretending or fansying that they believe they know not what.

1758.  Franklin, Let., Wks. 1887. III. 8. I forgot to mention another of my fancyings, viz., a pair of silk blankets, very fine.

a. 1839.  Praed, Poems (1864), II. 184, ‘Good-Night to the Season.’

1876.  Encycl. Brit., IV. 249/2, ‘Breeds.’ ‘Fancying’ is not governed by rules identical with those which regulate breeding for economic purposes.

1889.  Athenæum, 16 Nov., 667/3. This, and the excellent fancying of the little ‘genteel’ colony in Bankside, Southwark, are the principal features which will impress themselves on the reader’s recollection.