1893 text

Foy. A feast given by one who is about to leave a place. In Kent, according to Grose, a treat to friends, either at going abroad or coming home. See Diary, November 25th, 1661.


This text comes from a footnote on a diary entry in the 1893 edition edited by Henry B. Wheatley.

5 Annotations

First Reading

Wim van der Meij  •  Link

Warrington got it from Halliwell's Dictionary and calls it a merrymaking given at someone's parting

language hat  •  Link

The OED says it's from Dutch fooi (earlier foye, voye), probably from French voie 'way, journey.'

dirk  •  Link

The Dutch Etymological Dictionary confirms this etymology, adding a further link to Latin "via". "Fooi" in Dutch originally meant "farewell present". The present meaning is "tip".

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

LH, my little old Webster's D concurs, adding Via, Latin for way or road [out of 'ere] used by the Scots to celebrate the end of harvest.

Second Reading

Bill  •  Link

FOY, a Treat given to their Friends by those who are going a Journey.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1660

1661

1663

  • Jun