To make a fox paw, verb. phr. (common).—To make a mistake or a wrong move; specifically (of women) to be seduced. [A corruption of the Fr. faux pas.]
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue.
Fox’s Sleep, subs. phr. (common).—A state of feigned yet very vigilant indifference to one’s surroundings. [Foxes were supposed to sleep with one eye open.]
1830. Sir J. Barrington, Personal Sketches, Vol. III., p. 171 (ed. 1832). Mr. Fitzgerald, he supposed, was in a fox’s sleep, and his bravo in another, who, instead of receding at all, on the contrary squeezed the attorney closer and closer.
Foxy, adj. (colloquial).—1. Red-haired; cf., carrotty.
1828. G. Griffin, Collegians, ch. ii. Dunat O’Leary, the hair-cutter, or Foxy Dunat, as he was named in allusion to his red head.
2. (colloquial).—Cunning; vulpine in character and look. Once literary. Jonson (1605) calls his arch-foist volpone, the second title of his play being ‘The Fox;’ and Florio (1598) defines Volpone as ‘an old fox, an old reinard, an old, crafty, sly, subtle companion, sneaking, lurking, wilie deceiver.’ [[66]]
d. 1536. Tyndale, Workes, p. 148. Oh, foxy Pharisay, that is thy leuen, of which Christ so diligently bad vs beware.
1849. Dickens, David Copperfield, ch. xlix., p. 429. Whatever his state of health may be his appearance is foxy, not to say diabolical.
3. (American cobblers’).—Repaired with new toe-caps. See fox, verb, sense 8.