fudgev.
/fʌdʒ/, U.S. /fədʒ/ 1.
a. transitive. To fit together or adjust in a clumsy, makeshift, or dishonest manner; to patch or ‘fake’ up; to ‘cook’ accounts. Often in schoolboy language: To make (a problem) look as if it had been correctly worked, by altering figures; to conceal the defects of (a map or other drawing) by adjustment of the parts, so that no glaring disproportion is observed; and in other like uses. Cf. fadge v. 3. Often with up.The first quot. is open to doubt, as the word may be a misprint for fridged.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > forgery, falsification > forge, falsify [verb (transitive)]
forgec1330
counterfeitc1386
feign1484
flamc1500
adulterate?1526
mint1593
fashion1600
fudge1674
sham1699
doctor1750
fake1884
to fake up1885
phoney1940
bodgie1969
1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge Ep. Ded. They may..be..fudged up into such a smirkish liveliness, as may last as long as the Summers warmth holds on.
1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 498 Fudge, to contrive without necessary Materials, or do Work in a bungling Manner.
1861 G. A. Sala Dutch Pict. xvi. 255 Do they go to chapel in surplices, and fudge impositions?
1867 M. E. Braddon Birds of Prey i. ii Any one who can fudge up the faintest pretence of a claim to it.
1879 F. T. Pollok Sport Brit. Burmah II. 99 They fudged their accounts so as to give little or no trouble to the almighty control department.
1886 C. D. Warner Their Pilgrimage xiv. 297 A stout resolute matron..with a lot of cotton lace fudged about her neck.
1890 W. Westcott in Brit. Med. Jrnl. 15 Mar. 620 The root of the white bryony..is sometimes fudged up by dealers to imitate the mandrake root.
b. To thrust in awkwardly or irrelevantly; to foist in.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > intrinsicality or inherence > introduction or bringing in > introduce or bring something in [verb (transitive)] > intrude or insinuate
intruse?a1500
ingyre1513
shuffle1565
cog1570
foist1570
wind?1570
obtrudea1575
interject1588
filch?1589
intrude1592
inthrust1605
possess1606
suborna1620
inedge1632
interlopea1641
subintroducteda1641
subintroduce1643
to hedge in1664
insinuate1665
dodge1687
lug1721
assinuate1742
wriggle1766
fudge1776
intertrude1809
injeer1820
protrude1840
sniggle1881
1776 S. Foote Bankrupt iii. 68 That last suppose is fudged in.
1824 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 16 708 This adjected part of the plan, which has been fudged in with so much unnecessary haste.
c. Nautical. to fudge a day's work: to work a dead reckoning by rapid ‘rule of thumb’ methods.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > work an observation or reckoning
to work an observation1669
to fudge a day's work1830
1830 F. Marryat King's Own I. viii. 113 He could fudge a day's work.
1836 F. Marryat Mr. Midshipman Easy II. ii. 37 Before they arrived at Malta, Jack could fudge a day's work.
2. intransitive. To fit in with what is anticipated, come off; also, to turn out, result; = fadge v. 4.Is fadge the true reading in these passages?
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > occurrence > [verb (intransitive)]
becomec888
i-tidec888
falleOE
ywortheOE
i-limp975
belimpOE
i-timeOE
worthOE
tidea1131
goa1200
arearc1275
syec1275
betide1297
fere1297
risea1350
to come aboutc1350
overcomea1382
passa1393
comea1400
to come in (also to, on, etc.) placea1400
eschew?a1400
chevec1400
shapec1400
hold1462
to come (also go) to pass1481
proceed?1518
occura1522
bechance1527
overpass1530
sorta1535
succeed1537
adventurec1540
to fall toc1540
success1545
to fall forth1569
fadge1573
beword?1577
to fall in1578
happen1580
event1590
arrive1600
offer1601
grow1614
fudge1615
incur1626
evene1654
obvene1654
to take place1770
transpire1775
to go on1873
to show up1879
materialize1885
break1914
cook1932
to go down1946
1615 J. Chamberlain Let. 15 June (1939) I. 602 Sir Fulke Grevile is once more in speach to be made a baron..but yf that fadge not the bishop of Winchester is in the way to be Lord Privie Seale.
1829 W. Scott Jrnl. 2 Feb. (1946) 16 We will see how this will fadge.
1831 W. Scott Jrnl. 20 Jan. (1946) 140 We will see how the matter fadges.
3. [ < fudge int. or fudge n.] To talk nonsense, tell ‘crams’. Also quasi-transitive.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > use language nonsensically [verb (intransitive)]
roya1450
to talk (or speak) at rovers1542
nonsense1822
squiddle1824
twaddle1825
fudge1834
buncomize1871
to be full of prunes1887
waffle1900
jive1928
bullshit1942
to talk out of one's arse1973
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > utter nonsensically [verb (transitive)]
rove1581
trifle1823
fudge1834
twaddle1837
crap1928
bullshit1942
waffle1957
1834 Tait's Edinb. Mag. New Ser. 1 205 The Duchess..feeds, flatters and fudges them into allegiance.
1884 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester (1886) Fudge, to talk nonsense; especially with the intent to cram another person.
Derivatives
fudged adj.
ΚΠ
1885 W. Rye Hist. Norfolk 226 A lot of fudged heraldry.
ˈfudging n.
ΚΠ
1860 R. F. Burton Lake Regions Central Afr. I. v. 132 He had..an addiction to ‘fudging’, which rendered the severest over~seeing necessary.
1895 Edinb. Rev. Apr. 465 A circular dome can easily be raised with only a little fudging of the surfaces.
Draft additions 1993
d. intransitive. To reach a makeshift solution by glossing over differences or blurring distinctions; to prevaricate or temporize. to fudge and mudge [mudge: fanciful rhyming alteration of fudge] , first recorded in a speech on 2 October 1980 by British politician David Owen: see quot. 1980.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > evasive deception, shiftiness > act evasively [verb (intransitive)]
haft1519
shuffle1565
dodge1575
palter1580
shift1580
hedge1611
boggle1615
subterfuge1622
prevaricatea1625
to shuffle up and down1633
evade1660
sophisticate1664
janka1689
whiffle1737
tongue-twist1836
caffle1851
pussyfoot1902
sidestep1904
spruce1916
to fudge and mudge1980
1888 W. Rye Records & Record-searching 9 Straining coincidences, presuming identities, and fudging judiciously.
1975 S. R. Delany Dhalgren vii. 817 Are you lying?..as you put it. Are you fudging?—which is how I'd put it.
1980 D. Owen in Guardian 3 Oct. 1/3 We are fed up with fudging and mudging, with mush and slush. We need courage, conviction, and hard work.
1983 Listener 29 Sept. 4/3 Defence is the field in which a Liberal tendency to fudge and mudge has most offended him.
1988 A. Lurie Truth about Lorin Jones ix. 171 Polly swallowed, distressed to hear herself lying—fudging, at least—to her son.
1989 Observer 18 June 15/1 He asked her three times to put the record straight. Three times she hedged and fudged.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
fudgeint.n.
/fʌdʒ/, U.S. /fədʒ/ A. int.
Stuff and nonsense! Bosh!
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > nonsense! [interjection]
strawc1412
tilly-vallya1529
flam-flirt1590
fiddlestick1600
fiddle-faddle1671
stuff1701
snuff1725
fudge1766
fiddlededeea1784
rats1816
havers1825
humbug1825
gammon1827
rubbish1839
pickles1846
rot1846
skittle1864
slush1869
flapdoodle1878
quatsch1907
phooey1908
tommyrot1931
balls1938
no shit1939
bollocks1940
phonus-bolonus1955
hockey1961
leave it out!1969
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield I. xi. 104 The very impolite behaviour of Mr. Burchell, who..at the conclusion of every sentence would cry out fudge.
c1818 Sir R. Peel in L. J. Jennings Croker Papers (1884) I. iv. 116 To all the latter part of your letter I answer..Fudge.
1842 R. H. Barham Bloudie Jacke in Ingoldsby Legends 2nd Ser. 182 But others cry ‘Fudge’.
1876 F. E. Trollope Charming Fellow I. xv. 200 Anything of consequence to say? Fudge! He is coming begging.
B. n.
1. Contemptible nonsense, ‘stuff’, bosh.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > [noun]
magged talea1387
moonshine1468
trumperyc1485
foolishness1531
trash1542
baggage1545
flim-flam1570
gear1570
rubbisha1576
fiddle-faddle1577
stuff1579
fible-fable1581
balductum1593
pill1608
nonsense1612
skimble-skamble1619
porridge1642
mataeology1656
fiddle-come-faddle1663
apple sauce1672
balderdash1674
flummery1749
slang1762
all my eye1763
diddle-daddle1778
(all) my eye (and) Betty Martin1781
twaddle1782
blancmange1790
fudge1791
twiddle-twaddle1798
bothering1803
fee-faw-fum1811
slip-slop1811
nash-gab1816
flitter-tripe1822
effutiation1823
bladderdash1826
ráiméis1828
fiddlededee1843
pickles1846
rot1846
kelter1847
bosh1850
flummadiddle1850
poppycock1852
Barnum1856
fribble-frabble1859
kibosh1860
skittle1864
cod1866
Collyweston1867
punk1869
slush1869
stupidness1873
bilge-water1878
flapdoodle1878
tommyrot1880
ruck1882
piffle1884
flamdoodle1888
razzmatazz1888
balls1889
pop1890
narrischkeit1892
tosh1892
footle1894
tripe1895
crap1898
bunk1900
junk1906
quatsch1907
bilge1908
B.S.1912
bellywash1913
jazz1913
wash1913
bullshit?1915
kid-stakes1916
hokum1917
bollock1919
bullsh1919
bushwa1920
noise1920
bish-bosh1922
malarkey1923
posh1923
hooey1924
shit1924
heifer dust1927
madam1927
baloney1928
horse feathers1928
phonus-bolonus1929
rhubarb1929
spinach1929
toffeea1930
tomtit1930
hockey1931
phoney baloney1933
moody1934
cockalorum1936
cock1937
mess1937
waffle1937
berley1941
bull dust1943
crud1943
globaloney1943
hubba-hubba1944
pish1944
phooey1946
asswipe1947
chickenshit1947
slag1948
batshit1950
goop1950
slop1952
cack1954
doo-doo1954
cobbler1955
horse shit1955
nyamps1955
pony1956
horse manure1957
waffling1958
bird shit1959
codswallop1959
how's your father1959
dog shit1963
cods1965
shmegegge1968
pucky1970
taradiddle1970
mouthwash1971
wank1974
gobshite1977
mince1985
toss1990
arse1993
1791 A. Radcliffe Romance of Forest II. x. 88 That is all fudge to frighten you.
1838 J. R. Lowell Lett. (1894) I. 28 As for my dependence on my own powers, 'tis all fudge.
1865 E. C. Clayton Cruel Fortune II. 105 I only hope your marriage will cure you of your silly fudge.
2. A made-up story, a deceit.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > [noun] > an invention, fiction, story
fablec1300
fantasy1362
feigning1388
invention?a1513
story?1531
finctionc1540
figment1577
fingure1593
fiction1599
knavigation1613
flam1632
gun1720
novel1764
fabrication1790
fudge1797
gag1805
myth1840
make-up1844
concoction1885
fictionalization1954
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > evasive deception, shiftiness > [noun] > an evasion, subterfuge
evasionc1425
shift1545
subterfuge1563
tergiversation1570
amusement1603
shuffle1628
subterfugy1637
salvo1665
jank1705
fudge1797
shiffle-shufflea1871
1797 A. M. Bennett Beggar Girl IV. vi. 185 But that must be all a fudge, because you see he did not overtake you.
1841 E. Bulwer-Lytton Night & Morning ii. vii Very genteel young man—prepossessing appearance—(that's a fudge!) highly educated.
1878 R. W. Emerson Fortune of Republic in Wks. (1906) III. 399 'Tis a wild democracy; the riot of mediocrities and dishonesties and fudges.
3. An impostor, humbug.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > a charlatan, fraudster > [noun]
shondc725
faitoura1340
fob1393
trumper?c1450
feature14..
chuffera1500
prowler1519
truphane1568
cozener1575
cogger1580
pretender1583
impostor1586
mountebank1589
sycophant?1589
foolmonger1593
affronter1598
assumer1600
knight (also lord, man, etc.) of gingerbread1602
pettifogger1602
budgeter1603
quacksalver1611
empiric1614
putter-off?1615
quack1638
stafador1638
saltimbanco1646
adventurer1648
fourbe1668
shammer1677
imposer1678
charlatana1680
sham1683
cheat1687
hocus1692
gull1699
shamster1716
coal-blower1720
humbugger1752
gagger1781
fudge1794
humbug1804
potwalloper1820
twister1834
jackleg1844
fraud1850
bunyip1852
empiricist1854
Bayswater Captain1880
bluffer1888
putter-down1906
quandong1939
1794 A. M. Bennett Ellen III. 132 What an old fudge! You won't give her up, I hope, Charles.
4. A patch of print, esp. a piece of late news, inserted in a newspaper page; also, a machine or cylinder for inserting such patches. Also attributive, as fudge-cylinder, fudge-plate, fudge-shaft, fudge-space, fudge-unit; fudge-box n. (see quot. 1929).
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > printed matter > [noun] > patch of print inserted
fudge1899
society > communication > printing > printing machine or press > [noun] > machine for inserting patches
fudge1899
society > communication > journalism > journal > parts and layout of journals > [noun] > piece of print inserted in page
fudge1899
1899 Daily News 23 Sept. 5/1 The blank space left for ‘fudge’ while the evening paper is being printed off is caused by the presence of the empty fudge-box.
1902 Daily Mail 27 June 7/5 After the paper has passed through the big cylinders that print the entire sheets, it goes past the small cylinder which prints the contents of the ‘fudge box’ in the vacant space.
1910 E. Wallace Nine Bears vi. 45 ‘Issued at 4.10,’ he said, glancing at the ‘fudge’ space, where the result of a race had been printed.
1929 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 508/1 This late news is printed into the blank spaces by a contrivance called a ‘fudge box’ which is circular in form and into which are secured linotype slugs. The ‘fudge’ is fastened on to an auxiliary cylinder equipped with inking mechanism.
1964 Gloss. Letterpress Rotary Print. Terms (B.S.I.) 13 Fudge cylinder, plate, shaft, unit.
1967 Evening News 13 July 4/4 (caption) You must excuse me while I break off to stamp-in the 20th lap positions for our 3.30 fudge.
5. A soft-grained sweetmeat prepared by boiling together milk, sugar, butter, etc. Originally U.S.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > fudge
tablet1736
penuche1872
chocolate fudge1892
fudge1896
1896 W. C. Gore in Inlander Jan. 147 Fudges, a kind of chocolate bonbons.
1902 Queen 3 May 763/1 The greatest ‘stunt’ among college students is to make Fudge.
1902 Queen 3 May 763/1 Nut Fudges... Fruit Fudge.
1905 Buffalo (N.Y.) Express 16 Jan. 2 The overturning of an alcohol lamp over which some girls were cooking fudge.
1960 Good Housek. Cookery Bk. (ed. 5) 431/1 The fudge is poured into an oiled tin or caramel bars and cut up as soon as it is firm.
1971 Islander (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 18 July 2/1 A batch of fudge which all enjoyed.
Draft additions June 2018
fudge packer n. slang (offensive) a homosexual man (stereotypically characterized as a participant in anal sex); cf. to pack (also stir) (a person's) fudge at Additions.
ΚΠ
1985 D. Lucie Progress i. i, in Progress & Hard Feelings 9/1 I'd better get to work. I'm after some woofter pop singer today... Horrible little fudge-packer.
1991 Green Bridge in soc.motss (Usenet newsgroup) 18 Sept. ‘Faggots!’ one of my friends screams at them, and I'm..shocked at the hate in his voice... ‘Fudge packers!’ screams another.
2009 W. Powers Skinware 128 We just fired two turd burglars... Carlin Oil don't take too kindly to fudge packers.
slang. Faeces, excrement. Chiefly in various (offensive) phrases. to pack (also stir) (a person's) fudge: to engage in anal intercourse; to drop (also park) (ones also the) fudge: to defecate. to hold one's fudge: to control one's bowels.
ΚΠ
1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 88 Fuck, pack fudge ('40s).
1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 89 Fuck, stir fudge (mid '60s).
1980 D. Hamill Stomping Ground xvi. 158 Tell you, wouldn't mind stirring that Connie's fudge some day.
1983 E. M. Rauch Buckaroo Banzai (shooting script, rev. draft 3) cccxxv. 87 I am scared. I'm barely holding my fudge right now.
1989 S. Smoke Pacific Edge xxviii. 149 If I catch him packing fudge with a minor again, I'll drown him in the fucking bay.
1997 Roger's Profanisaurus 19/2 in Viz Dec. Park the fudge, to shit; pass a stool.
2000 Mysterious Dumper in alt.dumpster (Usenet newsgroup) 15 Dec. Each dump has a unique shape!.. One day it's a one-foot solid brown coil..the next day it could be a couple dozen little slugs..or the next day, a massive pile of fudge.
2011 L. Peddicord Another Life, not my Own 38 They were so delighted to come across a man who didn't pack fudge and who wasn't ugly or a social cripple..or an oil-slathered egotist who crunched barbells.
2014 @Mason1Stu 18 Mar. in twitter.com (O.E.D. Archive) Taking a poo and the light blows! Pooing in the dark is now my favourite way to drop fudge.
Draft additions 1993
An act of fudging (in sense Additions d); an unsatisfactory or makeshift solution, esp. one reached for the sake of expediency. Also, sophistry, prevaricatory or imprecise language or reasoning. Chiefly in political contexts.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > expediency > expedience > [noun] > solution
fudge1980
1980 Observer 22 June 5/1 The right wing of the party believes that, in concocting his fudge, Mr Callaghan has sold the pass.
1981 Guardian 10 Sept. 12/1 Given the choice between fudge and mudge and a firm statement of its views on incomes policy the TUC can usually be counted upon to come out clearly for ambiguity.
1986 Sunday Express Mag. 31 Aug. 42/4 On secret ballots there is still a hint of fudge in the Brighton air.
1990 Economist 22 Sept. 72/2 Unwillingness to put up with political fudges.
Draft additions 1993
fudge factor n. a factor speculatively included in a hypothesis or calculation, esp. to account for some unquantified but significant phenomenon or to ensure a desired result.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > speculation > hypothesis > [noun] > ensuring desired result
fudge factor1977
1977 Aviation Week 24 Jan. 62/3 Meeting criteria for the FAA, jet transport A/C do not land on runways based on actual rollout distance. Thrust reversing is not included and many fudge factors are added.
1983 Nature 21 July 210/1 Bohr's boldness in formulating what would now be called fudge factors was vindicated: by formalizing the unexplained, Bohr set up the challenge that was eventually met when the entirely new physics of quantum and wave mechanics was expounded.
1989 Financial Times 22 Feb. 22/7 The market soon recognised the fudge factor—half a point tacked on for the drought effect—and settled back into more familiar expectations on growth.
Draft additions September 2013
Compounds
attributive (in sense B. 5). Designating sweet foods having the rich flavour and dense consistency associated with (esp. chocolate) fudge. Originally and chiefly U.S.
ΚΠ
1904 Boston Daily Globe 21 Sept. 10/2 Fudge Cake. One cup sugar, 1½ cups butter, 2 eggs, ½ cup milk, 2 squares melted chocolate. 1¼ cups flour, 1 teaspoonful baking powder.
1951 T. Sterling House without Door ii. 22 Year after year..Schrafft's had been serving lamb and mint jelly and hot fudge sundaes to others.
1994 BBC Good Food Feb. 74/4 You can glaze them with chocolate or a fudge mixture if you wish.
2012 South China Morning Post (Nexis) 8 May 12 The host places a plate of freshly baked, gooey fudge brownies on the table in front of you.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
<
v.1615int.n.1766