Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus.) swagger, ostentation [fig. use of SE frill, adornment].

1889-90

D. Sladen in Barrère & Leland Sl., Jargon and Cant I 285/2: Frill (Australian popular), swagger, conceit. When a slangy Australian sees a person very conceited, or swaggering very much, he says, ‘He has an awful lot of frill on,’‘He can’t walk for frill,’‘He’s stiff with frill.’.

2. (also bit of frill, bunch of...) a woman [meton. for her clothiing].

c.1899		[perf. Vesta Tilley] The Seaside Sultan 🎵 He’s always on the frivol with a frock or frill / He’s guaranteed to make the ladies hearts stand still.
1903		C. Sandburg letter 19 Jan. in Mitgang (1968) 9: I am dubious about Arthur D’s opinion of Nell T. as quoted by you – ‘there never was a girl.’ It might apply to many a frill-bound fool.
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Mar. 14/2: ‘I went strong with my bit uv frill f’r about 10 minutes, ’n’ then th’ shicker started t’ climb th’ tube’.
1911		E. Dyson ‘The Disposal of a Dog’ in Benno and Some of the Push 127: Important engagement. Got a date with a bunch iv frill.
1915		Hargreaves & Godfrey [perf. Ella Shields] ‘Oh, the baa-baa-baa lambs’ 🎵 Dressed up in his Sunday best and guaranteed to kill / Making goo-goo eyes at every passing frock and frill.
1922		Healesville & Yarra Glen Guardian (Vic.) 4/4: I hoist myself up on to me dutch pegs and offers my arm to the frills.
1927		K. Nicholson Barker I ii: Say, a good-lookin’ young fella like you could get any frill you wanted.
1934		R. Sale ‘A Nose for News’ in Goulart (1967) 209: I told that scatterbrained frill I wasn’t in on it.
1943		P. Cheyney You Can Always Duck (1959) 8: Half the guys in Hollywood was tryin’ to marry this frill.
1944		J. Archibald ‘Jail, Jail, the Gang’s All Here’ in 10 Detectives Aces Apr. 🌐 Snooty and the frill ignore me and start talking stamps.
1959		W. Brown Teen-Age Mafia 10: The kid who’d just come in the café was cute [...] a real fancy frill.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 799: frill – A girl or woman.