Also 6 fangel, 7 south. dial. vangle. [This and FANGLE v.2 app. arose from a mistaken analysis of NEWFANGLED, later form of newfangle ‘eager for novelty.’ As newfangled was said both of persons and of their actions or productions, it came to be diversely interpreted to mean either ‘characterized by new fashions or crotchets’ or ‘newly fashioned or fabricated.’]
1. New fangle: a new fashion or crotchet; a novelty, new invention. (Always in contemptuous sense.) Now rare.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. 1 Tim. iv. 6. Full growen age, which is not wonte easily to swerue into newe fangles.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 116. A Pedlers packe of new fangles.
1670. Maynwaring, Physician’s Repos., 122. That Physician … departs from the primitive Practice, for a new fangle and fashion of Prescribing.
1869. Trollope, He knew, lxxxix. (1878), 494. She would still scorn the new fangles of the world around her.
1881. R. Grant White, Words & Uses (ed. 3), xi. 334. The unconscious freedom with which people ten or fifteen years younger than himself adopt new fashions and fangles of dress, of manners, and of speech.
† 2. A fantastic, foppish, or silly contrivance; a piece of finery; foppery, fuss. Obs.
1583. Greene, Mamillia, I. Wks. 1881, II. 19. There was no Feather, no fangle, Gem, nor Jewell, Ouch nor Ring left behinde, which might make them seemely in her sight.
c. 1600. Time’s Alteration, in Chambers, Pop. Lit., I. 247.
| French Fashions then were scorn’d, fond Fangles then none knew, | |
| Then Modestie Women adorn’d, when this old Cap was new. |
1642. Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus (1851), 315. If God loathe the best of an Idolaters prayer, much more the conceited fangle of his prayer.
1654. Gayton, Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixot, IV. ix. 230.
| What fangle now, thy thronged guests to winne, | |
| To get more Roome, faith goe to Inne and Inne. |
1695. Kennett, Par. Antiq., Gloss., s.v. Fannatio, Fangles or vangles properly the baubles or playthings of children that are proud to be new fangled.
