释义 |
▪ I. farce, n.1 Forms: 4–5 fars, 7–8 farce. [a. OF. farce, f. farcir, farsir:—L. farcīre to stuff.] Force-meat, stuffing.
c1390Form of Cury (1780) 75 Make a Coffyn an ynche depe & do þe fars þerin. c1430Two Cookery-bks. 45 Take of the fars, and lay on þe cake. 1727Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Calves Ears, They must be..unsew'd when ready, but so as the Farce may not fall out. 1796H. Glasse Cookery vi. 116 Make a farce with the livers minced small. 1823Crabb Technol. Dict., Farces, meat chopped small, and well spiced. 1904Daily Chron. 4 May 10/5 The hollow should be filled with a rich veal farce. ▪ II. farce, n.2|fɑːs| Also 6–7 farse, 6 Sc. farsche. [a. (in 16th c.) F. farce, app. a metaphorical use of farce stuffing: see prec. The history of the sense appears to be as follows: In the 13th c. the word (in latinized form farsa, farsia) was applied in France and England to the various phrases interpolated in litanies between the words kyrie and eleison (e.g. ‘Kyrie, genitor ingenite, vera essentia, eleison’); to similar expansions of other liturgical formulæ; and to expository or hortatory passages in French (sometimes in rime) which were inserted between the Latin sentences in chanting the epistle. (The related vb. L. farcire, OF. farcir to stuff, hence to ‘pad out’, interlard, was used in the same connexion in the expressions epistola farcita, un benedicamus farci. See Du Cange s.vv. Farsa, Farsia, and Burney Hist. Music II. 256.) Subsequently the OF. farce, with similar notion, occurs as the name for the extemporaneous amplification or ‘gag’, or the interludes of impromptu buffoonery, which the actors in the religious dramas were accustomed to interpolate into their text. Hence the transition to the modern sense is easy. (The Eccl. Lat. farsa, farcire, referred to above, have been anglicized by mod. writers on liturgical antiquities as farse n. and v.)] 1. a. A dramatic work (usually short) which has for its sole object to excite laughter.
[14..La Vie de St. Fiacre in Mysterès inédits 15me Siécle (1837) I. 332 Cy est interposé une farsse.] 1530Palsgr. 17 Suche as writte farcis and contrefait the vulgare speche. 1530Lyndesay Test. Papyngo 41 In ballatts, farses, and in plesand playis. 1668Pepys Diary 31 July, To the King's House, to see the first day of Lacy's ‘Monsieur Ragou’..a farce. 1726Amherst Terræ Fil. xliv. 235 Excellent farces so frequently..perform'd in her [Oxford's] convocation-house. 1824W. Irving T. Trav. I. 274 A tragedy, pantomime, and farce, were all acted in the course of half an hour. b. That species of the drama which is constituted by such works.
1676Dryden Epil. Etheredge's Man of Mode 3 Those Nauseous Harlequins in Farce may pass. 1717Lady M. W. Montague Let. 1 Jan., The scenes were pretty, but the comedy itself such intolerable low farce. 1756Hurd Provinces of Drama Introd. Wks. (1811) II. 30 By Farce I understand, that species of the drama ‘whose sole aim and tendency is to excite Laughter’. 1877A. W. Ward in Encycl. Brit. VII. 438/1 English comedy seemed inclined to leave to farce the domain of healthy ridicule. 2. Something as ridiculous as a theatrical farce; a proceeding that is ludicrously futile or insincere; a hollow pretence, a mockery.
1696tr. Du Mont's Voy. Levant 296 The Farce is too gross and visible. 1704Prior Ladle 139 A Ladle..is what I want..you have pray'd ill; what should be Great you turn to Farce. 1705W. Wotton Defense 57 'Tis all with him a Farce and all a Ladle, as a very facetious Poet says. 1762Sterne Tr. Shandy v. xv, Unless every one's Life and Opinions are to be looked upon as a farce. 1791Burke Corr. (1844) III. 255 It is quite a farce to talk of his liberty. 1824W. Irving T. Trav. I. 246 The buzz of notoriety and the farce of fashion. 1888Bryce Amer. Commw. III. lxxxix. 204 These delegates..duly went through the farce of selecting and voting for persons already determined on by the King. 3. attrib. and Comb., as farce-scribbler, farce-tragedy, farce-writer; farce-like adj.
a1683Oldham Horace his Art Poet. 362 in Some New Pieces (1684) 19 Satyrs..Whose Farce-like Gesture, Motion, Speech, and Meen Resemble those of modern Harlequin. 1695Dryden tr. Du Fresnoy's Art Painting Pref. p. xxvi, Farce-Scribblers make use of the same noble invention [laughter], to entertain Citizens. 1710C. Gildon Life T. Betterton 174 Nay, after these our very Farce Writers deserve more Esteem. 1850Kingsley Alt. Locke xxxvii, Those miserable, awful farce tragedies of April and June. 1859H. Morley Jrnl. 5 Nov. (1866) 240 Reasons which a farce-writer is entitled to regard as sufficient. ▪ III. farce, v.1 Obs. or arch.|fɑːs| Also 4–9 farse, (5 faarce, 5–6 fars). [ad. OF. farsir (Fr. farcir) = Pr. farsir:—L. farcīre to stuff.] To stuff, to fill full of something. Const. with. †1. a. trans. In cookery: To stuff (an animal, a piece of meat) with force-meat, herbs, etc. Obs.
13..Medical Receipts in Rel. Ant. I. 51 Farse the catte within als thu farses a gos. c1430Two Cookery-bks. 41 Broche þin Pygge; þen farce hym. 1530Palsgr. 545/2 This conye is well farced. 1586Bright Melanch. xxxix. 252 Pigge..farced with sage. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage ii. xviii. 173 If any farse a henne, the needle must be threeded the day before. 1727Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Breast of Veal, Farce it between the Skin and small Ribs. 1736Bailey Househ. Dict. 235 To farce Cucumbers. absol.1501Douglas Pal. Hon. ii. li. 1231 Martiall was cuik till roist, seith, farce and fry. †b. to farce together: to make into force-meat. Obs.
1653B. Discolliminium 46 Polcatts Lites, and Hedge⁓hoggs Livers..farced together with the galls of Wizards. †2. In embalming (see quots.). Obs.
1563Homilies ii. Idolatry iii. (1859) 264 They bury dead bodies farced with spices. 1665Sir T. Herbert Trav. 325 Some used to embalm..the belly..farced with cassia. †3. To cram (the stomach, etc., oneself) with food. Also, To fill out (what is lean or shrunken).
1375Barbour Bruce ix. 398 With gud morsellis [thai] farsis thair panch. 14..Prose Legends in Anglia VIII. 154 She was..farsed wiþ goostly fodes. 1513Douglas æneis viii. Prol. 52 A gus..To fars his wame full. 1599B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. v. v, If thou would'st farce thy leane ribbes with it too, they would not rub out so many doublets. a1632T. Taylor God's Judgem. i. i. ix. (1642) 20 Never ceasing to farse his greedy throat with continuall sustenance. 1669Address Young Gentry England 39 They farse themselves with the most exquisite delicacies. †4. gen. To cram full of; to pack; also, to overlay thickly. Obs.
c1386Chaucer Prol. 233 His typet was ay farsud ful of knyfes. 1569T. Stocker Diod. Sic. iii. xiii. 124 b, A couer..made of cowe hides farsed with wolle. 1577Hellowes tr. Gueuara's Chron. 60 The ayre seemed to be farsed or compound with dust. 1583Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 31 When they [bees]..cels ar farcing with dulce and delicat hoonnye. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 137 His capcase farsed with things of great value. 1611Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. viii. (1632) 563 A Helmet of excellent proofe full farsed with Mayle. 1634T. Johnson Parey's Chirurg. xi. iii. (1678) 278 The wound must..be inlarged..that so there may be free passage..for such things as are farced..therein. 5. fig.; esp. To season, ‘spice’ (a composition, speech). Also with up. (Cf. farse v.)
a1340Hampole Psalter xvi. 11 Þai held þaire pride farsid in felonyse. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 1369 Hipsiph. & Medea, Wordes farsed with plesaunce. c1400Apol. Loll. 49 Stoffid and farsid wiþ gold. 1406Hoccleve La Male Regle 13 Farsid was I with hertes gladnesse. c1555Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (1878) 116 The book..is farced with many untruths. 1577–87Holinshed Chron. I. 84/1 With what stuffe our old historiographers haue farced vp their huge volumes. 1599B. Jonson Cynthia's Rev. Induct., Stale apothegmes..to farce their Scenes withall. 1631Massinger Believe as You List iii. ii, Farce thy lean ribs with hope. 1678Owen Mind of God viii. 233 Such notable sayings are many of our late Criticks farced withal. 1830D'Israeli Chas. I, III. xi. 243 Their invectives were well farced for the gross taste of the multitude. 1834Southey Let. in H. Taylor Autobiog. (1885) I. xvi. 280 Farcing it [a book]..with quotations. †6. To stuff or force (something) into something else; also to farce in; in quots. fig. Also to force (something) through (a strainer). Obs.
c1420Liber Cocorum (1862) 30 Take mustarde..Stomper hit in a morter fyne, And fars hit þurghe a clothe of lyne. 1579Fulke Heskins' Parl. 257 He farceth in another slaunder of vs. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage iv. iv. 361 Other prodigious miracles he farseth into his storie. 7. = farse v.
1857Ecclesiologist XVIII. 204 A very curious farced Epistle. 1894Athenæum 28 July 128/2 A peculiar feature in the recitation is the ‘farcings’ of each psalm, i.e., the introduction of sentences, generally giving some application of the psalm to Christ. 1895Liturgy of Holy Apostles Adai & Mari 1 There is no farcing at feasts, but a Hallelujah is said. 1907Mod. Philol. IV. 585 None of these gradual variations caused legend or farced epistle to become anything other than legend and farced epistle. Hence ˈfarced ppl. a. in senses of the vb.
c1420Liber Cocorum (1862) 36 Pygges farsyd. c1430Two Cookery-bks. 41 Capoun or gos farced. 1549Chaloner Erasmus on Folly I ij a, Well farsed tables. 1599Shakes. Hen. V, iv. i. 280 The farsed Title running 'fore the King. 1725Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Carp, Farced Carps. ▪ IV. † farce, v.2 Obs. [Cf. prec. 4 and fard.] trans. To paint (the face).
c1400Rom. Rose 2285 Farce not thi visage. c1430Lydg. Bochas i. xiv, To shere my berde, and farce my vysage With oyntments..To make it souple. ▪ V. farce obs. f. force v.2 and v.3 |