Fleet-Note, subs. (old).—A forged note.
1821. Real Life in London.
Fleet of the Desert, subs. phr. (common).—A caravan; cf., ship of the desert = camel.
Fleet-Street, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The estate of journalism, especially journalism of the baser sort.
Fleet-Streeter, subs. (colloquial).—A journalist of the baser sort; a spunging prophet (q.v.); a sharking dramatic critic; a spicy (q.v.) paragraphist; and so on.
Fleet-Streetese, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The so-called English, written to sell by the Fleet-Streeter (q.v.), or baser sort of journalist: a mixture of sesquipedalians and slang, of phrases worn threadbare and phrases sprung from the kennel; of bad grammar and worse manners; the like of which is impossible outside Fleet-Street (q.v.), but which in Fleet-Street commands a price, and enables not a few to live. [[20]]
Fleg, verb. (old).—To whip. Bailey.
Flemish Account, subs. phr. (old).—A remittance less than was expected; hence, an unsatisfactory account. [Among the Flemings (the merchants of Western Europe when commerce was young) accounts were kept in livres, sols, and pence; but the livre or pound only = 12s., so that what the Antwerp merchant called one livre thirteen and fourpence would in English currency be only 20s.]
1668. T. Brown, The Accurate Accomptant, etc. Quoted in N. and Q. 1. S. I., 286. London, August 10th, 1668. To Roger Pace, Factor, etc., for 10 pieces cont. 746 Ells Fl. at 10s. Flem. per Ell is £373 Flem. Exchange at 35s. makes Sterling Money £213 2s. 10d.
1774–1826. Typ. Antiq., p. 1773. A person resident in London is said to have had most of Caxton’s publications. He sent them to Amsterdam for inspection, and on writing for them was informed that they had been destroyed by accident. ‘I am very much afraid,’ says Herbert, ‘my kind friend received but a Flemish account of his Caxton’s.’