Forms: 6–7 footra, footre, fowtre, 7 foutra, foutree, foutir, 9 fouter. [a. OF. foutre:—L. futuĕre (the inf. used subst.).]
1. In phrases, a foutre for, (to care) not a fouter.
[a. 1592. Greene, James IV., V. ii. Jaques … faites bonne chere: foutre de ce monde!]
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. iii. 103. A footra [Q. footre] for the World, and Worldlings base.
1632. Fletcher, Sea Voy., V. i.
| Therefore footra, | |
| When I am full, let ’em hang me, I care not. |
1638. Suckling, Goblins, III. (1646), 26. Pel. Shall I so?—why then foutree for the Guise.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, xvii. 14.
| For though wed to a maiden in spring-tide youthfully budding, | |
| Maiden crisp as a petulant kid, as airily wanton, | |
| Sweets more privy to guard than e’er grape-bunch shadowy-purpling; | |
| He, he leaves her alone to romp idly, cares not a fouter. |
2. Applied contemptuously to persons.
1780–1808. J. Mayne, Siller Gun, III. xxv.
| Cut to the quick wi’ this rebuff, | |
| Th’ astonish’d Taylor grew mair gruff; | |
| And, swearing he was better stuff | |
| Than sick a fouter, | |
| Stripp’d, in a twinkling, to the buff, | |
| And brav’d the Souter. |
1786. Harvest Rig, in R. Chambers’ Pop. Poems Scotl. (1862), 50.
| That he had fairly gain’d the day, | |
| But that a sutor, | |
| Most manfully about does lay— | |
| A tough auld fouter. |
1833. Marryat, P. Simple (1863), 145. O’Brien declared that he was a liar, and a cowardly foutre.
