[f. next vb.]
1. An act of flinging or throwing; a cast, throw.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc., 10. Why may not we haue one cast in his Orchard, and a fling at his Medlar tree?
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xxix. 391. In spite of the powerful flings which they were subjected to in the fight, not a dog suffers seriously.
2. fig. (Chiefly in phrase to have a fling at.) a. A passing attempt at or attack upon something. b. A sarcastic remark thrown out in passing; a gibe, scoff.
1550. Bale, Apol., 143/1. Not one kynge hath bene in Englande sens the conquest, but they [monks] haue twygged hym one way or other, and had theyr false flynges at him, I could shewe it by course.
a. 1592. Greene, Selimus, Wks. 1881–3, XIV. 290.
| Wee’ll haue a fling at the Ægyptian crowne, | |
| And ioyne it vnto ours, or loose our owne. |
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. XXXVII. iii. 609. I meane eftsoones to haue a fling at Magicians for their abhominable lies and monstrous vanities.
1659. D. Pell, Impr. Sea, 174. Will you not have one fling at Spain … before you dye?
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xiii. 148. When he died, he left his Estate to two Grandsons, his own Son, who was his only Child, dying before him. But the Court had a Fling at them, and got above a Million Sterl. of their Estate.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. 117. He has had a taste of your satirical flings, or he would not be so angry.
1760. C. Johnston, Chrysal (1822), II. 10. There is nothing pleases them [the public] so much as a little profaneness, and ridicule of religion: a fling at the clergy never fails to raise a laugh.
1878. Spurgeon, Serm., XXIV. 356. The wise men on the other side of the house, the builders who affect to be scientific scholars, and persons of advanced thought and thorough culture, these also have their fling against the gospel.
3. A hasty, reckless, or wanton movement, a rush. lit. and fig. At one fling: at one movement or impulse. Full fling: with haste or force, impetuously, violently. Now rare.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & F., i. 33.
| In at a lattes hole, right sodenlie | |
| Euen at a fling, fast flew there in a flie. |
1575. Gascoigne, Pr. Pleas. Kenilw. II. v.
| Oh, loe, I come to late! Oh, why had I no wing? | |
| To helpe my willing feete, which fet these hastie frisking flings? |
c. 1590. Secr. Mem. Earl Leicester (1706), 114. With many other Fetches, Flings and Friscoes besides, which simple Men do not as yet conceive.
1614. T. Adams, Diuells Banket, iv. 183. A man that hath taken his careere, and runnes full fling to a place, cannot recoile himselfe, or recall his strength on the sodaine.
1611. Fletcher, Wild Goose Chase, IV. i.
| Now ye see what your Flings are, and your Fancies, | |
| Your States, and your wild Stubborness. |
1641. Brome, Jovial Crew, II. i. Shall we make a fling to London, and see how the spring appears there in the Spring Garden; and in Hyde Park, to see the races, horse and foot; to hear the jockies crack, and see the Adamites run naked afore the ladies?
1650. Ward, Discolliminium, 35. If I should read this Dialectique straine to my Mare, she would start from Newcastle to Michaels-mount at one fling.
4. A flinging about of the body or limbs.
a. A dance in which the arms and legs are moved with great vigour, esp. in the Highland fling.
1806. P. Neill, Tour Orkney & Shetland, 1–2. We saw the Highlanders from the high parts of Caithness and from Sutherland, dancing the fling to the music of the bagpipe in the open street.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, vi. Had made the company at the Well alternately admire, smile and stare, by dancing the highest Highland fling, riding the wildest pony, laughing the loudest laugh at the broadest joke, and wearing the briefest petticoat of any nymph of St. Ronan’s.
1845. Hood, Last Man, xxiii.
| So he stept right up before my gate | |
| And danced me a saucy fling! |
b. A violent movement, a plunge; of a horse: A kicking or throwing out the hind legs. Also Sc. fig. of persons: To take the fling(s: ‘to become unmanageable’ (Jam.), to become fitful or ill-humored.
a. 1568. Fleming, Ballat of evill Wyffis, viii., in Bannatyne Poems (1770), 180. Quhen his wyfe taks the fling.
1719. Hamilton, Ep. to Ramsay, 24 Aug., vii.
| For gin we ettle anes to taunt her, | |
| And dinna cawmly thole her banter, | |
| She’ll tak the flings, verse may grow scanter. |
1826. H. N. Coleridge, West Indies, 126. The furious jerks and flings which he [the shark] made to free himself.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., vi. I would n’t be ’t all surprised if dat ar gen’lman’s crittur [a horse] should gib a fling, by and by, when he comes to be a gettin’ up.
c. fig. Freedom from constraint in one’s bearing; ‘dash.’
1871. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., I. II. xiii. 218. About his ordinary bearing there was a certain fling, a fearless expectation of success, a confidence in his own powers and integrity much fortified by contempt for petty obstacles or seductions of which he had had no experience.
5. A fit or spell of unrestrained indulgence of one’s impulses. To have one’s fling: usually, to abandon oneself to pleasure until the impulse is satisfied.
1827. Sir J. Barrington, Personal Sk. Own Times, II. 435. They no doubt were properly qualified to make very respectable saints: but since they took care previously to have their fling, I cannot say much for their morality.
1840. E. Howard, Jack Ashore, III. iii. 79–80. From this morning may Jack’s fling of extravagance be dated.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, xxxix. I should like to have my fling out before I marry.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, II. ii. (1871), 230. During this hour or hour-and-a-half he used to take his fling, going round to the studies of all his acquaintance, sparring or gossipping in the hall, now jumping the old iron-bound tables, or carving a bit of his name on them, then joining in some chorus of merry voices; in fact, blowing off his steam, as we should now call it.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 398.
| O brother, I am grieved to learn your grief— | |
| Give me my fling, and let me say my say. |
6. In various uses.
a. The length of netting which may be made on the mesh-pin at a time.
1780. A. Young, Tour Irel., I. 244. Weaving the nets 1d. a yard for one fling, or 63 meshes deep, 200 yards running measure, at that depth, in each share.
b. A number (of oxbirds) flying in company.
1859. Folkard, Wild-Fowler, lx. 316. The whole fling [of oxbirds] every now and then presents the identical appearance of a beautiful silver cloud.
1875. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Sports, I. i. § 1. 118. A ‘fling’ of oxbirds.
† c. used to express: A thing of no importance.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Barke-Shire (1662), 84.
| ——— England were but a fling, | |
| Save for the crooked stick and the gray-goose-wing. |
7. attrib. and Comb., as fling period (sense 5); † fling-brain, a person of flighty and hasty character; so † fling-brained a.
1554. in Foxe, A. & M. (1583), II. 1459/1. A sort of flyng-braines and light heads, which were neuer constant in any one thyng.
1576. Newton, Lemnie’s Complex. (1633), 159. Their fickle heads, and flingbrained wits be easily allured and drawne into folly.
1885. Athenæum, 24 Jan., 117/1. Chopin had the additional misfortune that he came when the fling period was drawing to an end.
