[prob. f. FUN v.]
† 1. A cheat or trick; a hoax, a practical joke.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Fun, a Cheat or slippery Trick.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), V. 259. A Hackney Coachman he did hug her, And was not this a very good Fun?
2. Diversion, amusement, sport; also, boisterous jocularity or gaiety, drollery.
(Johnson, 1755, stigmatizes it as ‘a low cant word’; in present use it is merely somewhat familiar.)
1727. Swift, Misc. Epit. By-words. Tho’ he talk’d much of virtue, his head always run Upon something or other she found better fun.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, IX. vi. Partridge … was a great lover of what is called fun.
1751. E. Moore, Gil Blas, Prol. 25. Don’t mind me tho’, for all my fun and jokes.
1767. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual., I. 99. Vindex, at length, looked smilingly about him, with much fun in his face, but more vengeance at his heart.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 313. Nor are our vulgar much better than overgrown boys in this particular; for if they can get into a fine garden, it is fun to them to break off an ornament, or disfigure a statue, or make any spoil they think will give much disturbance.
1790. Burns, Tam o’ Shanter, 144. The mirth and fun grew fast and furious.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., ii. ‘What’s the fun?’ said a rather tall thin young man.
1845. S. C. Hall, Bk. Gems, 90. His wit and humour delightful, when it does not degenerate into ‘fun.’
1849. E. E. Napier, Excurs. S. Africa, II. xvii. 331. Being better mounted than the rest of his troop, [he] pushed on to see more of the fun, and to have the chance of another shot with the rifle which had lately rendered such good service.
1887. Shearman, Athletics & Football, 325. Most footballers play for the fun and the fun alone, and there is no pleasure at all in playing back unless one’s own side is getting much the worst of the game.
1889. J. K. Jerome, Idle Thoughts, 42. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do.
1891. Baring-Gould, In Troubadour-Land, iv. 50. I do not see the fun of going to hotels of the first class. Not only is one’s expense doubled, but one is thrown among English and American travellers, and sees nothing whatever of the people in whose country one is travelling.
b. Phr. To make fun of, poke fun at (a person, etc.): to ridicule. For or in fun: as a joke, sportively, not seriously. (He, it is) good, great fun; a source of much amusement. Like fun: energetically, very quickly, vigorously. What fun! how very amusing!
1737. H. Walpole, Corr. (1820), I. 17. I can’t help making fun of myself.
1840. Hood, Up the Rhine, 157. The American appeared to enjoy the confusion, and in a dry way began to ‘poke his fun’ at the unfortunate traveller.
a. 1847. Mrs. Sherwood, Lady of Manor, III. xxi. 250. Then you won’t make fun of me, will you?
1848. Lowell, Biglow P., Ser. I. IV. 98. Stickin’ together like fun.
1849. Lytton, Caxtons, I. iv. You would be very sorry if your mamma were to throw that box out of the window, and break it for fun.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, II. iii. The bolts went to like fun.
1860. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alteram Partem, III. cxxvi. 82. Who knows but Volunteer Rifles may make a campaign in the Holy Land, and mount guard over the production of the holy fire at Easter? ‘What fun!’—as is the slang which reprobates and boys have substituted for statesmanship.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 151, Protagoras. Not that Socrates is likely to forget—I will be bound for that, although he may pretend in fun that he has a bad memory.
1877. Mar. M. Grant, Sun-Maid, iii. The races are great fun, and about as pretty a sight in some ways as you could wish to see.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, 1. He’s such good fun, and he’s so obliging.
1895. H. A. Kennedy, in 19th Cent., Aug., 331. I suppose the wood-carver was poking fun at him?
3. Comb., as fun-loving adj.
1775. S. J. Pratt, Liberal Opinions (1783), II. 119. Nor in her present oblique posture could this fun-loving Alicia, be even seen.
1892. Daily News, 14 July, 5/1. A fun-loving, jolly, prankish elf of a woman.
