Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a member of the sporting world.

1839		H. Brandon Dict. of the Flash or Cant Lang. 161/1: Fancy Bloak – a fancy man.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 36: FANCY BLOAK, a fancy or sporting man.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 1: Bloak - Gentleman. Fancy Bloak - Fancy man.

2. (also fancy boy) orig. a prostitute’s boyfriend; then a male lover, not always adulterous, but the relationship usu. refers to a married or older woman; cit. 1901 refers to a Chinese man.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 25: Fancy bloak—a fancy man.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 140/1: Their intended victim came forth [...] accompanied by Lady Bet, and her fancy bloke, as Michael designated a fast-looking individual, whose honourable method of obtaining a livelihood was living on Bet’s iniquity.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Feb. 9/1: And Loredan – the Creole’s fancy ‘bloke’ – extracts from his part every atom of fun (and a trifle more) it contains.
1899		H. Nisbet Comrades of the Black Cross 154: Well, so long, my dear; there's your fancy bloke, Bruiser, looking thunder at us, and I don’t want the weight of his paw on my mug, so I'm off to my downy.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Jul. 11/2: A 17-year-old damsel was lately before Ballarat Bench for vagrancy and, while awaiting trial, her fancy Chow brought her a toothsome breakfast, after enjoying which she rewarded him with kisses and hugs to the great scandal of the blushful beholding bobbies.
1934		E. Raymond Child of Norman’s End (1967) 440: P’raps the Admiral’s her fancy boy.
1997		Corrie.net 🌐 She’s on the phone to her fancy-bloke, Ray, and they’re making a date.
2005		Gazn ‘Chat’ at ABCtales.com 🌐 For all I know you might be seeing some fancy bloke from the office tonight.

1. (also fancy fellow) a pimp, a procurer.

1821		‘Miscellaneous’ in Fancy I IV 101: So down to Cateaton-street went she, accompanied by all the fillies and fancy-coves.
1842		‘The Swell Coves Alphabet’ in Nobby Songster 28: F. for fancy fellows – did you ever see one green.

2. a boxer.

1827

‘The Black Fogle’ in Egan Anecdotes of the Turf, the Chase etc. 34: Long life to the Champion from Ireland so dear; / Strike up, ye fancy coves, and be all jumping.

3. a thief.

1828		Sussex Advertiser 14 Apr. 4/3: [We] soon passed a long string of gaggers, priggers, Adam Tylers, fancy coves, autum [sic] morts, gammoners, sweetners, uprightmen, bully huffs, lully priggers, star gazers, and coves of all sorts.
c.1838		G.W.M. Reynolds ‘The House Breaker’s Song’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 122: Let Davy’s dust and a well-faked claw / For fancy coves be the only law.
1912		E. Pugh City Of The World 264: I know some fancy coves as ’d open the Bank of England with a toothpick, almost.

a boy or young man who is a favourite of prostitutes (but not a customer or a pimp).

1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

see fancy woman n.

see separate entries.

a lover, a mistress.

1852

Kendal Mercury 24 Jan. 6/2: He has been enjoying the society of his ‘fancy Moll’ in a neighbouring ‘padding ken’.

1. a prostitute, a mistress [note Egan, Life In London (1821): ‘A sporting phrase for a “bit of nice game” kept in a preserve in the suburbs. A sort of Bird of Paradise!’].

1801		M. Edgeworth Belinda (1994) 406: That the likeness is certainly striking – but this seems to be a fancy piece.
1821		Egan Life in London (1869) 74: Tom [...] smiled with indifference at the rolls of soft which his most capitivating fancy-piece drew from him.
2006		The Sleaze Aug/Sept. 🌐 Apparently every time he started banging his fancy piece on the side, Princess Diana would appear above the bed and start screaming ‘Adulterer!’ at him.

2. a girlfriend, a ‘best girl’.

2002

C. Jinks Gentleman’s Garden 354: ‘One of their privates had the ill sense to bring his fancy piece on board, stowed with the luggage,’ he related. ‘When she was discovered, they were married.’.

see separate entry.

see fancy woman n. (3)

showy, smart.

1984		J. Dailey Silver Wings (1985) 309: No one needs you or the rest of your fancy-assed women.
2000		M. Collins Keepers of Truth 97: You think I’m not worth shit, right? You come here in that fancy-ass car of yours.

(US black) a fashionable, chic, well-designed home.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

see separate entry.

see separate entry.

see separate entries.

see smile n.¹

(US black) the main street on which the high life happens.

1996–2000

(con. 1940s) Deuce Ofay Productions ‘The Jive Bible’ at JiveOn.com 🌐 If’n de eagle didn’t fly in trey dims an’ brights, I’d be puttin’ my woman out on de fancy stroll!

see fancy woman n. (3)