Fagin, an old Jew, who employs a gang of thieves, chiefly boys. These boys he teaches to pick pockets and pilfer adroitly. Fagin assumes a most suave and fawning manner, but is malicious, grasping, and full of cruelty.—C. Dickens, Oliver Twist (1837).
Fainall, cousin by marriage to Sir Wilful Witwould. He married a young, wealthy, and handsome widow, but the two were cat and dog to each other. The great aim of Fainall was to get into his possession the estates of his wife (settled on herself "in trust to Edward Mirabell"), but in this he failed. In outward semblance, Fainall was plausible enough, but he was a goodly apple rotten at the core, false to his friends, faithless to his wife, overreaching, and deceitful.
Mrs. Fainall. Her first husband was Languish, son of Lady Wishford. Her second husband she both despised and detested.—W. Congreve, The Way of the World (1700).
Fainaso'lis, daughter of Craca's king (the Shetland Isles). When Fingal was quite a young man, she fled to him for protection against Sora, but scarcely had he promised to take up her cause, when Sora landed, drew the bow, and she fell. Fingal said to Sora, "Unerring is thy hand, O Sora, but feeble was the foe." He then attacked the invader, and Sora fell.—Ossian, Fingal, iii.
Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady, a line in a ballad written to the "Berkshire Lady," a Miss Frances Kendrick, daughter of Sir William Kendrick, second baronet. Sir William's father was created baronet by Charles II. The wooer was a Mr. Child, son of a brewer at Abingdon, to whom the lady sent a challenge.
Having read this strange relation,
He was in a consternation;
But, advising with a friend,
He persuades him to attend:
"Be of courage and make ready,