Flapper-shaking, subs. (common).—Hand-shaking.
1853. Bradley (‘Cuthbert Bede’), Verdant Green, pt. II., ch. iv. Wondering whether … if the joining palms in a circus was the customary flapper-shaking before ‘toeing the scratch’ for business.
Flap-sauce. See Flapdoodle. [[7]]
Flare, subs. (nautical).—1. Primarily a stylish craft; hence, by implication, anything out of the common. For synonyms, see Stunner.
2. (colloquial).—A row; a dispute; a ‘drunk’; or spree. Cf., flare-up.
Verb. (thieves’).—1. Specifically to whisk out; hence, to steal actively, lightly, or delicately.
1850. Lloyd’s Weekly, 3 Feb. Low Lodging Houses of London. B. tried his pocket saying, ‘I’ll show you how to do a hankerchief; but the baker looked round and B. stopped; and just after that I flared it (whisked the handerchief out); and that’s the first I did.’
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, I., 457. Just after that I flared it (a handerchief).
2. (common).—To swagger; to go with a bounce.
1841. Leman Rede, Sixteen-String Jack, ii., 3. Crissy Odsbuds, I’ll on with my duds, And over the water we’ll flare.