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fudge

1
[fuhj]
|
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noun

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

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RELATED WORDS

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

Origin of fudge

1
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

2
[fuhj]

noun

nonsense or foolishness (often used as an interjection).

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

to talk nonsense.

Origin of fudge

2
1690–1700; origin uncertain; cf. fudge3

fudge

3
[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

3
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

Examples from the Web for fudge

Contemporary Examples of fudge

Historical Examples of fudge

British Dictionary definitions for fudge

fudge

1

noun

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

Word Origin for fudge

C19: of unknown origin

fudge

2

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

3

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
v.

"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."

n.

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]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper