Green’s Dictionary of Slang

i’fecks! excl.

also ay fackins! ay faikins! by my faicks! by my feckins! effags! efegs! fags! feckins! fecks! feggs! fegs! i’fac! ifackens! i’facking! i’fackins! i’facks! i’fags! i’feaks! i’feck! i’feckins! ifeekins! i’feggs! i’fegs! iss fegs! yfacks! y facking! y fackins! yfeck!

a mild excl., lit. ‘in faith’.

[UK]T. Heywood Edward IV (1874) I 440: No; by my feckins, but the better.
[UK]Shakespeare Winter’s Tale I ii: I’fecks? Why that’s my bawcock. What! hast smutch’d thy nose?
[UK]R. Brome Damoiselle II i: Shalt not i’fecks la, shalt not.
[UK]R. Brome New Academy II ii: And catch’t ifac, la, he, he, he.
[UK]Wycherley Gentleman Dancing-Master II i: caution: Y facks; but you shan’t, I’l ask him, and ask you no favour that I will. don diego: Y fackins; but you shan’t ask him, if you go there to look you, you Prattle-box you, I’le ask him.
[UK]Woman Turn’d Bully IV iii: Yfeck ’tis fine riding.
[UK]Behn Lucky Chance III vi: But, fags, you are naught to think of a young fellow, ads bobs, you are now. [Ibid.] V ii: I’ll undress it, effags I will, roguey.
[UK]Congreve Old Bachelor IV i: dear Cocky – I’feck you’ll break my heart – I’feck you will.
[UK]D’Urfey Comical Hist. of Don Quixote Pt 2 IV iii: Leave off that course, that Clownish word ifackins, and if you would swear [...] you must say by my Soul.
[UK]M. Pix Beau Defeated IV ii: Ay fackins, had Master and I been at e’re Gentleman’s house [...] by this time we had been half Seas-over, Udsnigs.
[UK] in Wit’s Cabinet 120: Why Feckins I know not how they do.
[UK]J. Gay Wife of Bath I i: A most delicate Table – and a Brace, i’facking.
[UK]‘Conny Keyber’ An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews 48: We make a charming Fool of him, i’fackins.
[UK]Fielding Joseph Andrews (1954) II 173: ‘Ifacks, a good story,’ cries Mrs Trulliber.
[UK]Fielding Tom Jones (1959) 139: I suppose he hath left me mourning; but, i’fackins! if that be all, the devil shall wear it for him.
[Scot]Scots Mag. 1 Oct. 19/2: I had before made some progress in learning to swear: I had proceeded by Fegs, [...] ’pon my life, Rat it, and Zookers [...] to Demme.
[UK]A. Ross Helenore in Wattie Scot. Works (1938) 5: Ye shak your head; but o’ my fegs, / Ye’ve set auld Scota on her legs.
[UK]Smollett Humphrey Clinker (1925) I 91: Hey for London, girl! – Fecks! we have been long enough here. [Ibid.] 142: But i’fackins, Mr. Clinker wa’n’t long in his debt – with a good oaken sapling he dusted his doublet, for all his golden cheese toaster.
[Ire]K. O’Hara Two Misers I i: No child’s play to get make a breach here; must get help, i’fecks!
Garrick Country Girl III ii: I’fackins, but we won’t.
[UK]‘Peter Pindar’ ‘The Lousiad’ Works (1794) I 275: ’Tis someting, fags! to triumph ’pon poor fly.
[UK]Young Coalman’s Courtship 3: How old am I, mither, do you think I could man a hissey yet? Fegs am a mind to try.
[UK]Morris et al. ‘Knowing Joe’ Festival of Anacreon (1810) 51: Feggs! I was so sheamfac’d.
[UK]Sporting Mag. Jan. XVII 203/2: When the Lord mayor and the Shrieves, i’fecks! / Wear chains themselves.
[UK]G. Colman Yngr Poor Gentleman I i: I don’t think so, fegs! – Stay!
[UK]G. Colman Yngr Blue Devils 8: demisou: In love with one another! james: Ifackins, but we be.
‘Knowing Joe’ in Vocal Mag. 1 Feb. 69: Feggs! I was so shamefac’d, I flopp’d on the floor .
[UK]T. Whittell ‘Johnny Brecking’s Wedding’ Poetical Works 133: But now he had won the day, ay faikins, / And gotten the victory.
[UK]Beppo in London xcviii: And, fegs!
[UK]W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Wife (1868) 241/2: My worthy Parson, is it you? / The same i’fackins, I’ve in view.
[UK] ‘A Sly Peep At Lunnun’ Universal Songster I 18: Some lawyers, too, wear ’em, and look just, ifags!
[UK]J.J. Stafford Love’s Frailties I i: Now, i’fackins! they must be wrong, for I never was so happy in all my life.
[Ire]Southern Reporter (Cork) 14 Apr. 4/1: ’fegs I’m land-lock’d for a rhyme.
[UK]Lytton Paul Clifford I 70: Ifeaks, Master Pride-in-duds! seek your fortune yourself, will you?
R. Cruikshank Steamers v. Stages xxiii: They’d no idea of such a crowd i’fecks!
[UK]Western Times 28 Apr. 4/6: I cut off, ifeggs! an enemy’s legs — I did, below the knees.
[UK]H. Smith Gale Middleton 1 25: Fegs! if a chap had nothing else to digest he’d soon be a walking atomy.
[UK] ‘Her Ladyship’s Daisey’ in Flash Chaunter 32: Where pathways do abound in styles / These are the naughty things ’efegs, / That often do display the ladies legs.
[US]T. Haliburton Clockmaker II 171: I went to the woods to drive the flock home [...] and, fegs! I lost my way.
[UK]Comic Almanack Feb. 125: For where’s the harm, ifegs!
[UK] ‘Christopher Snub’ in New Monthly Mag. (Sept.–Dec.) 182: Spite, i’fackins!
[UK] ‘The Queen & The Countryman’ in Gentleman’s Spicey Songster 25: ‘Ecod,’ said he, ‘I’ve done the trick, / It’s her as sure as eggs is eggs; / I see with half an eye its Vic, / I am a lucky chap ’efegs!’.
[Ire] ‘Steam Pills’ Dublin Comic Songster 137: When the pills took effect – and he grew so, i’fegs / That he knocked down the front of the house with his legs.
[US]T. Haliburton Sam Slick in England I 79: ‘Fegs!’ sais Pat, ‘this gun was made for a squint eye.’.
[UK]Talfourd & Seymour Sir Rupert, the Fearless I iii: Let’s seal the bargain with a kiss [she slaps his face] I facks / I could dispense through with your sealing whacks.
[UK]C. Kingsley Westward Ho III 287: Iss fegs, Oh, he was a king!
[UK]Sherborne Mercury 9 June 7/4: ‘I’feckins I will,’ said the old man.
[UK](con. 1600s) M. Lemon Leyton Hall I 264: Ifeekins! I am losing my head.
[UK]Western Gaz. 14 Feb. 3/1: Grammercy, fayre lady, ye rose is redde, i’fackins, ye violets blue.
Exeter Fling Post 5 July 8/2: I fackins and gadsooks (whatever that may mean) the workmen have advanced so quickly.
[Scot] ‘Canny Newcassel’ in Laughing Songster 107: By my faicks! it’s been built up by Adam’s awn neaves.
[US]J.H. Nicholson ‘Bunkum in Parvo’ in Opal Fever 113: You coward, i’feggs.
[UK]M.E. Braddon Mohawks III 238: ‘Ifackens, so I did, wench!’ cried the Dowager, who was very vulgar when she was in a good temper.
[UK]Manchester Courier 24 Dec. 10/5: I’fecks we’ll have a famous do, / An’ ha’ lots of fun.
[UK]Wodehouse Leave it to Psmith (1993) 532: About the reign of Henry the Eighth [...] his assistants no doubt assented with many a hearty ‘Grammercy!’ and ‘I’fackins!’ these being expletives to which they were much addicted.
[Ire]L. Mackay Mourne Folk 104: ‘D’ye min’ the night of the big win’, Thomas?’ asked John McCunningham. ‘Fags, I think I do,’ replied Thomas.