1849. Punch’s Almanack, ‘The Swell Mobsman’s Almanack.’ Their fogles fetch next to nothing. [[50]]
1858. A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, bk. II., ch. i., p. 60. They’re just made for hooking a fogle [handkerchief] out of a clye.
Fogle-hunter, subs. (thieves’).—A thief whose speciality is fogles (q.v.). Fr. un blaviniste or un chiffonier, but for synonyms, see Stookhauler.
1827. Maginn, in Blackwood’s Mag. … the fogle hunters doing Their morning fake in the prigging lay.
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, ch. xvi. Who’s here so base as would be a fogle-hunter?
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, p. 44. ‘What’s the matter now?’ said the man, carelessly. ‘A young fogle-hunter,’ replied the man who had Oliver in charge.
1843. Punch, IV., p. 129. Rich charities the chapel throng. The swell mob they are there, The Bishop’s sermon is not long, The fogle-hunter ware!
Fogle-hunting (or drawing), subs. phr. (thieves’).—Stealing pocket-handkerchiefs; i.e., ‘prigging of wipes.’
1823. Bee, Dict. of the Turf, etc., p. 82. Q. ‘Where’s Teddy?’ A. ‘He’s out a fogle-hunting.’ Sometimes ’tis said ‘drawing fogles,’ and ‘fogle-drawing.’
Fogram, or Fogrum, subs. (old).—A fussy old man. [Cf., colloquial sense of Fogey.]