Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to swindle, to trick, to fool; thus honeyfugling n.

1829		Virginia Literary Museum 30 Dec. 458: Honeyfuggle, to quiz, to cozen. Kentucky [DA].
1859		C. Mackay Life and Liberty in America 102: Among the pure Americanisms may be cited the following: To honeyfugle, to gloze, flatter, bamboozle, or ‘ take in’.
1866		C.H. Smith Bill Arp 119: I don’t know much about banking nor financiering [...] but I can’t be honeyfuggled as to how my money comes and how it goes.
1872		Schele De Vere Americanisms 205: The worst use of the sweet word [i.e. honey] is probably made in the formation of honey-fogle, in the sense of swindling or cheating.
1888		Missouri Republican 20 Jan. n.p.: Noonan’s companion objected to this honey-fugling by knocking the demonstrative stranger down [F&H].
1905		D.G. Phillips Plum Tree 278: Goodrich [...] was posting to make peace on whatever terms he could honeyfugle out of my conciliation-mad candidate.
1911		Morgan Co. Republican (Versailles, MO) 9 Mar. 4/2: We are tired of the honeyfuggling business and are going to look to you who owe us to pay up what you owe.
1921		Eve. Public Ledger (Phila., PA) 22 June 1/4: The Frankford ‘L’ [...] would be in operation next winter were it not for the ‘dilly-dallying and honeyfuggled’ tactics of the councilmen .

2. to ‘sweet talk’, to flatter, to entice.

1856		Congressional Globe 22 July 965/1: Pardon me for using the word; but Sharp ‘honey-fuggled’ around me [DA].
1906		J.W. Carr ‘Words from Northwest Arkansas’ in DN III:ii 141: honey-fuggle, v. To cajole, flatter. ‘He can’t honey-fuggle him.’.
1906		Nation 22 Feb. 149: ‘Don’t honey-fugle,’ he advised the committee, ‘but go to the bottom in any way possible’ [DA].
1912		R.W. Brown ‘Word-List From Western Indiana’ in DN III:viii 578: honey-fuggle, v. To win with sweet promises.
1950		A.B. Guthrie Way West 48: Let Tadlock be upset, and you’d find McBee honey-fuggling the upsetters.

3. to cuddle up to.

1969–70

in DARE.

4. to have sex, esp. with a prepubescent girl.

1872		Schele De Vere Americanisms 205: Susan B. Anthony [...] uses honey-fugling for ‘kissing’ in her lectures on Women’s Rights.
1934		P. Wylie Finnley Wren n.p.: He was keenly aware of the mysterious pains and penalties attached to ‘honeyfuggling.’.
1966		Trimble 5000 Adult Sex Words and Phrases.