noun General Slang

Foin

/fɔɪn/ · noun · slang

A pickpocket — the rogue who lifted a purse by fingers alone, no blade required.

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Definitions

1

Figuratively, to palm or slip something in or out by trickery; the root of the later 'foist upon'.

“She foisted the marked coin into the till as she paid.”
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2

A pickpocket; one who 'foisted' a purse or goods out of a pocket by sleight of hand rather than cutting. Often spelled 'foist' in the pamphlets.

“The foin worked the throng by feel, never once drawing a knife.”
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3

As a verb, to foist — to pick a pocket, to slip a hand in and draw the prize out unfelt.

“He could foist a watch in the time it takes to tip your hat.”
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Foin In A Sentence

A skilled foin was worth more to the gang than three clumsy nips.
They taught the boy to foist with a bell-hung coat so he'd not ring it.
The foin and his stall split the take three ways with the upright man.

Origin & Usage

Attested in Robert Greene's coney-catching pamphlets (1591-92) as 'foist' for pickpocket, beside 'nip' for cutpurse. The 'foin' spelling reflects period variation; ultimately from a word meaning to thrust or feint.

Variants foistfoisterfoisting
Tags #thieves-cant#cant#historical#british#crime

People Also Ask

What does foin mean in thieves' cant?

A pickpocket — one who 'foisted' a purse out by hand, as opposed to a nip who cut it. Recorded in Greene's 1591 pamphlets.

Is foin the same as foist?

Yes — 'foist' is the more common spelling; both name the pickpocket in Elizabethan rogue literature.

Did the foin use a knife?

No — that was the nip's craft. The foin relied purely on sleight of hand.

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