fudge

[fuhj]

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noun

a soft candy made of sugar, butter, milk, chocolate, and sometimes nuts.

Origin of fudge

1895–1900, Americanism; of uncertain origin; the word was early in its history associated with college campuses, where fudge-making was popular; however, attempts to explain it as a derivative of fudge³ (preparing the candy supposedly being an excuse to “fudge” on dormitory rules) are dubious and probably after-the-fact speculation

fudge

[fuhj]

noun

nonsense or foolishness (often used as an interjection).

verb (used without object), fudged, fudg·ing.

to talk nonsense.

Origin of fudge

1690–1700; origin uncertain; cf. fudge³

fudge

[fuhj]

verb (used without object), fudged, fudg·ing.

to cheat or welsh (often followed by on): to fudge on an exam; to fudge on one's campaign promises.

to avoid coming to grips with something: to fudge on an issue.

to exaggerate a cost, estimate, etc., in order to allow leeway for error.

verb (used with object), fudged, fudg·ing.

to avoid coming to grips with (a subject, issue, etc.); evade; dodge: to fudge a direct question.

noun

a small stereotype or a few lines of specially prepared type, bearing a newspaper bulletin, for replacing a detachable part of a page plate without the need to replate the entire page.

the bulletin thus printed, often in color.

a machine or attachment for printing such a bulletin.

Origin of fudge

1665–75; origin uncertain; in earliest sense, “to contrive clumsily,” perhaps expressive variant of fadge to fit, agree, do (akin to Middle English feien to put together, join, Old English fēgan); unclear if fudge¹ and fudge² are developments of this word or independent coinages

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for fudge

overstate, falsify, evade, exaggerate, dodge, shuffle, magnify, color, avoid, slant, embellish, patch, stall, pad, hedge, equivocate, embroider

Examples from the Web for fudge

Contemporary Examples of fudge

Rather, I'm just incensed by those who fudge its ability beyond all recognition.
Note to Drivers: All Wheel Drive Does Not Give You Superpowers, Just a Dangerous Overconfidence
Megan McArdle
March 12, 2013
But what I suspect he was trying to fudge before the residency panel was, indeed, his residency.
Bain and the F-Word
Michael Tomasky
July 16, 2012
The religious messages in the April holidays are pointed, unequivocal, impossible to fudge.
Why There’s No ‘War on Easter’: Its Unequivocally Religious Message
Michael Medved
April 5, 2012
If any politician could be trusted not to fudge their mileage, it would be “Honest Abe.”
Santorum’s Audi and Other Political Transportation Follies
Ben Jacobs
February 18, 2012
Democrats, who sense military misgivings, try to fudge the differences in order to ingratiate themselves.
The Real McChrystal Story
Leslie H. Gelb
June 22, 2010

Historical Examples of fudge

Clayton knew it very well, and the trick of examining the books was all a fudge.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
“Oh, fudge on the judges,” Langford exclaimed in affected disgust.
Campfire Girls at Twin Lakes
Stella M. Francis
There was to be fudge, too, which Nancy had the knack of making.
A Little Miss Nobody
Amy Bell Marlowe
I don't call this fudge; what I mean by fudge is, outside without inside.
Loss and Gain
John Henry Newman
So we stopped at the store, and she's loaded me down with stuff for fudge.
The Little Colonel's Christmas Vacation
Annie Fellows Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for fudge

fudge

noun

a soft variously flavoured sweet made from sugar, butter, cream, etc

Word Origin for fudge

C19: of unknown origin

fudge

noun

foolishness; nonsense

interjection

a mild exclamation of annoyance

verb

(intr) to talk foolishly or emptily

Word Origin for fudge

C18: of uncertain origin

fudge

noun

a small section of type matter in a box in a newspaper allowing late news to be included without the whole page having to be remade

the box in which such type matter is placed

the late news so inserted

a machine attached to a newspaper press for printing this

an unsatisfactory compromise reached to evade a difficult problem or controversial issue

verb

(tr) to make or adjust in a false or clumsy way

(tr) to misrepresent; falsify

to evade (a problem, issue, etc); dodge; avoid

Word Origin for fudge

C19: see fadge

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fudge

"put together clumsily or dishonestly," 1610s, perhaps an alteration of fadge "make suit, fit" (1570s), of unknown origin. As an interjection meaning "lies, nonsense" from 1766; the noun meaning "nonsense" is 1791. It could be a natural extension from the verb. But Farmer suggests provincial French fuche, feuche, "an exclamation of contempt from Low German futsch = begone."

The traditional English story traces fudge in this sense to a sailor's retort to anything considered lies or nonsense, from Captain Fudge, "who always brought home his owners a good cargo of lies" [Isaac Disraeli, 1791, citing a pamphlet from 1700]. It seems there really was a late 17c. Captain Fudge, called "Lying Fudge," and perhaps his name reinforced this form of fadge in the sense of "contrive without the necessary materials." The surname is from Fuche, a pet form of the masc. proper name Fulcher, from Germanic and meaning literally "people-army."

type of confection, 1895, American English, apparently a word first used among students at women's colleges; perhaps a special use of fudge (v.).

'He lies,' answered Lord Etherington, 'so far as he pretends I know of such papers. I consider the whole story as froth -- foam, fudge, or whatever is most unsubstantial. ...' [Scott, "St. Ronan's Well," 1823]