foolish, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

foolish adj.

1. used by prostitutes to distinguish a casual customer from a more sophisticated client; thus the query, Is he foolish or flash? [flash adj. (2b)].

c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Foolish An Expression among whores signifying the Cully who pays, in opposition toa Flash man.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Foolish. An expression among impures, signifying the cully who pays, in opposition to a flash man. Is he foolish or flash?
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. (US black) excellent.

1995

L. Stavsky et al. A2Z 36/2: You lookin’ foolish tonight.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

foolish house (n.) (also foolish factory, foolish institution)

(US) a psychiatric institution; cit. 1910 refers to a carnival sideshow with distorting mirrors etc.

1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ John Henry 17: She hadn’t time to decide that I ought to be on my way to a foolish house.
1903		St Paul Globe (MN) 21 Aug. 5/1: Reading in the medical department of a well known daily that chewing gum held many persons from the foolish factory and prevented the already batty ones from becoming violent.
1910		Harry Hershfield ‘Desperate Diamond’ [comic strip] I’ll steal Rosamund in this ‘foolish factory’ for sure. [...] If we could only be sure Desmond wasn’t around, we could enjoy this ‘foolish factory’ more.
1912		Ade Knocking the Neighbors 201: She is a Candidate for Padded Cell No. 1 in the big Foolish House.
1913		Van Loan ‘“Butterfly” Boggs: Pitcher’ in Lucky Seventh (2004) 240: This poor guy in the foolish factory has got an idea that he’s been specially appointed to pull the heads off umpires.
1920		Wodehouse Coming of Bill (2004) 134: I’ve got to take my mind off this business, or it’s me for the foolish-house.
1920		Ontario Argus 1 Jan. 2/2: No one, not a candidate for the foolish factory, would compare the woolen ones for the silk.
1920		A. Baer Two & Three 12 Feb. [synd. col.] The rum revenue provided for [...] the dizzy sanitariums. Which is right. Rum provided everything for the foolish institutions; including the pupils.
1936		(ref. to 1920s) L. Duncan Over the Wall 58: The old guy’s moving [...] to the foolish factory across the way.
2004		R. Rockwood On a Torn Away World 105: And if you think you’re crazy, all right. I don’t feel like joining you in the foolish factory yet awhile.

foolish powder (n.) [their effects]

(drugs) any powdered narcotic, i.e. heroin, cocaine, morphine; Howsley suggests definition is ‘erroneous’.

1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 78: Foolish Powder–Orginally, heroin; more lately, any narcotic which robs the user of his senses and judgment.
1938		Hartlepool Northern Dly Mail 15 Jan. 7/3: In the illegal drug traffic [...] ‘foolish powder’ is heroin.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1959		J.E. Schmidt Narcotics Lingo and Lore.
1971		E.E. Landy Underground Dict. (1972).
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 9: Foolish powder — [...] heroin.

foolish water (n.)

(US) alcohol.

1907

B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 4: Bring a couple more canvas backs, nine orders of frogs legs [...] and start cooling another case of ‘foolish water’.