Fawney

or fauney, subs. (common).—1.  A ring; Fr., une brobuante; une broquille; un chason; Fourbesque, cerchiosa.

  2.  A swindle (also called FAWNEY-DROPPING, or -RIG), worked as follows:—A ring (snide) is let drop in front of a passer-by, who picks it up, and is confronted by the dropper, who claims to share. In consideration of immediate settlement he offers to accept something less than the apparent value in cash. Also done with pocket-books, meerschaum pipes, etc. FAWNEY-DROPPER = one that practices the ring-dropping trick; FAWNEY-BOUNCING = selling rings for a pretended wager; FAWNIED = ringed.

  1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, p. 174. Fawny. An old, stale trick, called ring-dropping.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 471. He wears a stunning FAWNY (ring) on his finger.

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 389. I do a little in the FAWNEY DROPPING line (FAWNEYS are rings).

  1857.  DUCANGE ANGLICUS, pseud. The Vulgar Tongue, p. 39. FAWNEY DROPPERS gammon the flats and take the yokels in.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon. ‘A Hundred Stretches Hence,’ 124.