Foppery

Foppery is a pejorative term describing a foolish man overly concerned with his appearance and clothes in 17th century England. Some of the very many similar alternative terms are: "coxcomb", fribble, "popinjay" (meaning "parrot"), fashion-monger, and "ninny". "Macaroni" was another term, of the 18th century, more specifically concerned with fashion. A modern-day fop may also be a reference to a foolish person who is overly concerned about his clothing and incapable of engaging in intellectual conversations, activities or thoughts.

Quotes

• 'Tis mean for empty praise of wit to write,
  As fopplings grin to snow their teeth are white.
  • Tom Brown (1662–1704) Essay on Satire, Stanza 2. Quotes reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 286-87.

• I marched the lobby, twirled my stick,
  * * * * *
  The girls all cried, "He's quite the kick."
  • George Colman the Younger (1762–1836), Broad Grins, Song, Stanza 1. Quotes reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 286-87.

• Of all the fools that pride can boast,
  A Coxcomb claims distinction most.
  • John Gay, Fables (1727), Part II. Fable 5.

• A beau is one who arranges his curled locks gracefully, who ever smells of balm, and cinnamon; who hums the songs of the Nile, and Cadiz; who throws his sleek arms into various attitudes; who idles away the whole day among the chairs of the ladies, and is ever whispering into some one's ear; who reads little billets-doux from this quarter and that, and writes them in return; who avoids ruffling his dress by contact with his neighbour's sleeve, who knows with whom everybody is in love; who flutters from feast to feast, who can recount exactly the pedigree of Hirpinus. What do you tell me? is this a beau, Cotilus? Then a beau, Cotilus, is a very trifling thing.
  • Martial, Epigrams (c. 80-104 AD), Book III, Epigram 6.

• Nature made every fop to plague his brother,
  Just as one beauty mortifies another.
  • Alexander Pope (1688–1744), Satire IV, line 258. Quotes reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 286-87.

• A lofty cane, a sword with silver hilt,
  A ring, two watches, and a snuff box gilt.
  • Recipe "To Make a Modern Fop" (c. 1770). Quotes reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 286-87.

• This is the excellent foppery of the world.
  • William Shakespeare, King Lear (1608), Act I, scene 2, line 128.

• A fop? In this brave, licentious age
  To bring his musty morals on the stage?
  Rhime us to reason? and our lives redress
  In metre, as Druids did the savages.
  • Sir Samuel Tuke, The Adventures of Five Hours (1663), Act V.

• Has death his fopperies?
  • Edward Young, Night Thoughts (1742-1745), Night II, line 231.