Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also fambler) a hand.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 87: There was a proud Patrico and a nosegent, he tooke his Jockam in his famble, and a wapping he went.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching A2: Fambles, hands.
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: Which word Cheate, beeing coupled to other words, stands in verry good stead, and does excellent seruice: [...] Fambles are Hands and thereupon a Ring is called a Fambling chete.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: Cut benar whids, and hold your fambles and your stamps.
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush II i: Thus we throw up our nab-cheats first, for joy, / And then our filches; last we clap our fambles.
1637		Dekker Canting Song in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) O2: White thy Fambles, red thy Gan.
1648		Dekker Canters Dict. Eng. Villainies (9th edn).
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Fambles, Hands.
a.1674		‘The Rogues . . . praise of his Stroling Mort’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 19: [as cit. 1637].
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 198: [as cit. 1637].
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 205: Fams, or Fambles, hands.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: fambles [...] the Hands are also called Fambles.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 17: Hands – Fambles.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1815		(con. 18C) W. Scott Guy Mannering (1999) 149: If I had not helped you with these very fambles (holding up her hands) Jean Baillie would have frummagem’d you.
1828		‘The Song of the Young Prig’ in C. Hindley James Catnach (1878) 171: Fine draw a coat-tail sure I can’t, / So kiddy is my famble.
1843		W.T. Moncrieff Scamps of London I iii: Good evening to you, Ned – give us your famble.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 27: Fambles or Famms, the hands.
1906		A. McCormick Tinkler-Gypsies of Galloway 104: The following words appear to be still in use in one form or another amongst Galwegian tinkler-gypsies – Fambles (pronounced fammels) – Hands.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 44: The cheet [i.e. a dummy] was disgusting: dead opals, chattering fangs, googly gendarme goggles [...] black famblers.

2. (UK Und.) a ring.

1688		T. Shadwell Squire of Alsatia II ii: You don’t know what a famble, a scout or a tatler is, you put!
1724		J. Harper Frisky Moll’s Song 23: A Famble, a Tattle, and two Popps, / Had my Boman when he was ta’en.
1728		Defoe Street Robberies Considered 32: Famble, Ring.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: fambles Rings.
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict. n.p.: Fammilies [sic] rings.