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Origin and history of fancy

fancy(n.)

mid-15c., fantsy "inclination, liking," contraction of fantasy. It took the older and longer word's sense of "inclination, whim, desire." Meaning "the productive imagination" is from 1580s. That of "a fanciful image or conception" is from 1660s. Meaning "fans of an amusement or sport, collectively" is attested by 1735, especially (though not originally) of the prize ring. The adjective is recorded from 1751 in the sense "fine, elegant, ornamental" (opposed to plain); later as "involving fancy, of a fanciful nature" (1800). Fancy man attested by 1811.

fancy(v.)

"take a liking to," 1540s, a contraction of fantasien "to fantasize (about)," from fantasy (n.). Meaning "imagine" is from 1550s. Related: Fancied; fancies; fancying. Colloquial use in fancy that, etc. is recorded by 1813.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to fancy

fancied(adj.)

"imaginary, formed by the fancy," 1560s, past-participle adjective from fancy (v.).

fantasy(n.)

early 14c., "illusory appearance," from Old French fantaisie, phantasie "vision, imagination" (14c.), from Latin phantasia, from Greek phantasia "power of imagination; appearance, image, perception," from phantazesthai "picture to oneself," from phantos "visible," from phainesthai "appear," in late Greek "to imagine, have visions," related to phaos, phōs "light," phainein "to show, to bring to light" (from PIE root *bha- (1) "to shine").

The sense of "whimsical notion, illusion" is pre-1400, followed by that of "fantastic imagination," which is attested by 1530s. The sense of "day-dream based on desires" is from 1926. In early use in English also fantasie, phantasy, etc. As the name of a fiction genre, by 1939.

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plain
c. 1300, "flat, smooth," from Old French plain "flat, smooth, even" (12c.), from Latin planus "flat, even, level" (from PIE root *pele- (2) "flat; to spread"). Sense of "explicit, clear, evident" is from late 14c.; that of "free from obstruction" is mid-14c.; meaning "simple, sin
illusion
mid-14c., "mockery, scorning, derision;" late 14c., "act of deception; deceptive appearance, apparition; delusion of the mind," from Old French illusion "a mocking, deceit, deception" (12c.), from Latin illusionem (nominative illusio) "a mocking, jesting, jeering; irony," from pa
project
c. 1400, projecte, "a plan, draft, scheme, design," from Medieval Latin proiectum "something thrown forth," noun use of neuter of Latin proiectus, past participle of proicere "stretch out, thrust out, throw forth," from pro- "forward" (see pro-) + combining form of iacere (past p
list
pleasure or desire, provoke longing," from Proto-Germanic *lustjan (source also of Old Saxon lustian, Dutch lusten "to like, fancy...," Old High German lusten, German lüsten, Old Norse lysta "desire, wish, have a fancy"), from *lustuz-, from PIE root *las...
Juliet
A Parisian fancy which is finding little favor here, is the Juliet cap....["Fabrics, Fancy-Goods & Notions," trade publication, New York, January 1904]...
shine
Often also "a fancy, a liking," as in phrases such as take a shine to, "fancy," attested by 1830 in representations of Yankee...
milliner
by 1520s, "vendor of fancy wares, man who deals in articles for women's wear," probably originally Milaner "native or resident...of Milan" (in Middle English Milain, Milein, Millein, etc.), the northern Italian city famous for straw works, fancy goods...
imagination
"faculty of the mind which forms and manipulates images," mid-14c., ymaginacion, from Old French imaginacion "concept, mental picture; hallucination," from Latin imaginationem (nominative imaginatio) "imagination, a fancy," noun of action from past participle stem of imaginari "t
imagine
mid-14c., "to form a mental image of," from Old French imaginer "sculpt, carve, paint; decorate, embellish" (13c.), from Latin imaginari "to form a mental picture, picture to oneself, imagine" (also, in Late Latin imaginare "to form an image of, represent"), from imago "an image,
want
c. 1200, "to be lacking," from Old Norse vanta "to lack, want," earlier *wanaton, from Proto-Germanic *wanen, from PIE *weno-, suffixed form of root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out." The meaning "desire, wish for, feel the need of" is recorded by 1706....c. 1200, "deficiency,

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