adj. and adv. (colloquial).—1. Embarrassed; ‘hard-up’; ‘in a tight place.’
2. (colloquial).—Dissipated; addicted to GOING THE PACE (q.v.): e.g., a FAST man = a rakehell, or spendthrift; a FAST woman = a strumpet; a FAST life = a life of debauchery; a FAST house = a brothel, or a spotting tavern; to dress FAST = to dress for the town; to live FAST = to ‘go the pace,’ and so forth.
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, ch. lxxxviii. He returned to his former course of FAST living among the bucks of the town.
1846. THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, vol. i., ch. xxvi. ‘He’s going it pretty FAST,’ said the clerk. ‘He’s only married a week, and I saw him and some other military chaps handing Mrs. Highflyer to her carriage after the play.’
1860. The Atlas, 7 July. Lord William belongs to the genus FAST and we presume to the species soft—contradictions more apparent than real.
1870. Daily Telegraph, 11 July. Having a delightful air of being mildly FAST and decorously on the loose.
1880. G. R. SIMS, Three Brass Balls, Pledge xi. She knew he could not afford to gamble and keep FAST company night after night.
3. (common).—Impudent; ‘cheeky’: e.g., ‘Don’t you be so FAST’ = Mind your own business.
TO PLAY FAST AND LOOSE, verbal phr. (colloquial).—To be variable; inconstant; to say one thing and do another. [From the ancient game now known as PRICK THE GARTER (q.v.).]
1557. Tottel’s Miscellany, p. 157 (ARBER’S ed.). ‘Of a new maried studient that PLAIED FAST OR LOSE’ [Title of Epigram].
1593. G. HARVEY, New Letter, in wks., i., 274 (GROSART). If he PLAYETH AT FAST AND LOOSE (as is vehemently suspected by strong presumptions) whom shall he cunny catch, or cros-bite, but his cast-away selfe?
1599. JONSON, Every Man out of his Humour, i. 2. Nor how they PLAY FAST AND LOOSE with a poor gentleman’s fortunes, to get their own.
1632. CHAPMAN and SHIRLEY, The Ball, Act ii.
| Fr. Is’t come to this? if lords PLAY FAST-AND-LOOSE, | |
| What shall poor knights and gentlemen? |
1710. WARD, Vulgus Britannicus, ch. iv., p. 50.
| On second Thoughts, we should excuse, | |
| The People’s PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE. |
1852. DICKENS, Bleak House, ch. lvii., p. 477. I’m a practical one, and that’s my experience. So’s this rule. FAST AND LOOSE in one thing, FAST AND LOOSE in everything.
