faunch
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /fɔːnt͡ʃ/
rhymes: -ɔːntʃ
Forms: form: faunches
form: faunching
form: faunched
form: faunched
form: fauch
form: fawnch
Etymology: Uncertain. Used in Midland American English and Western American English. Entered the fanspeak body of slang after writer Noel Loomis used it in a review in Pro-Phile.
Senses: examples: text: Instead of the fine faunching black mare he usually rode he was on a light grey today, a little slower if it came to a run from the Indians or a buffalo stampede, but much less conspicuous against the snow.
ref: 1954, Mari Sandoz, The Buffalo Hunters, published 2008, →ISBN, page 6:
text: Ecstatic, they faunched and gamboled and I could hardly get them in the traces.
ref: 1986, Jerry Bumpus, Heroes and Villains, →ISBN, The Outdoorsman, page 59:
topics: equestrianism
hobbies
horses
lifestyle
pets
sports
glosses: To bite the bit, especially when restless; to champ.
examples: text: But on the evening before election, a staunch Democrat who had been on one of our telephone jobs came to my door — just faunching and spluttering.
ref: 1931, Anne Ellis, Plain Anne Ellis, published 1997, →ISBN, page 151:
text: You won't make nothing the day I die. I'll go out fighting and faunching.
ref: 1943, John B. Sanford, The People from Heaven, published 1995, →ISBN, page 5:
text: Right Wingers can rant, stomp, faunch, condemn and mislead all day long and pack the laws with well archestrated^([sic]) bigotry and bias from here til doomsday.
ref: 1998 September 9, Charley L. Walker, Jr., “Don't be misled...”, in austin.general (Usenet), message-ID <6t6vjo$gj8$1@juliana.sprynet.com>:
qualifier: chiefly Midland American English and Western American English
glosses: To complain; to rant; to rave.
examples: text: Rather than have me fidget and faunch while waiting in line (I'd neglected to bring a book) my wife sent me off to the music store with her blessing, with the promise to send our daughter Celia to fetch me when we finally got our table an hour later.
ref: 1998 June 2, Wade Hampton Miller, “There's a nice archtop for sale at Downtown Disney”, in rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic (Usenet), message-ID <1998060219431000.PAA29427@ladder01.news.aol.com>:
text: Licking his fingers, Pat buckled on his white helmet and went to work. Wilkinson's relieving elevens were always faunching to go into action anyhow.
ref: 2003, Harold Keith, Forty-Seven Straight, →ISBN, page 166:
qualifier: chiefly Midland American English and Western American English
glosses: To worry; to be eager; to show impatience.
examples: text: He is a young fellow, not long out of adolescence, who faunches to set the world on fire but isn't sure how to go about it.
ref: 1959, Richard "Dick" Harris Eney, Fancyclopedia II, Joe Fann/Jophan:
text: I've long faunched for these, and they turned out to be better constructed than I expected, and even included a padded carry bag.
ref: 1996 January, Eric Lindsay, Gegenschein, number 73, Winter Convention Trip in the USA, June 1994:
text: One thing you will learn *very* quickly is that, while you can do a very broad range of photography indeed with cheap equipment, there is *always* some very expensive toy you faunch over that will let you do something a little bit better.
ref: 2003 May 9, David Dyer-Bennet, “Re: Should I upgrade my camera?”, in rec.photo.digital (Usenet), message-ID <m2of2bigf2.fsf@gw.dd-b.net>:
topics: lifestyle
glosses: To desire; to yearn; to covet.
Derived terms: faunch and rear
faunch at the bit