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 fudging

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

Examples from the Web for fudging

Contemporary Examples of fudging

Again, the scam depends on inside information and fudging self-reported numbers.
Bank-Bonus Culture to Blame for Barclays Scandal
Alex Klein
July 3, 2012
Michael Medved says the Dems are fudging the numbers to justify their soak-the-wealthy approach.
The Democrats' Big Tax Lie
Michael Medved
July 28, 2011

Historical Examples of fudging

"You've been fudging around till you've got about ten million more hairs wound up," he grumbled.
Good Indian
B. M. Bower
While the Jackies coal ship all hands are doing there part and there is no fudging going on.
The Voyage of the Oregon from San Francisco to Santiago in 1898
R. Cross
The system of fudging tasks, cribbing lessons, deception of every sort they endeavoured to overthrow.
Ernest Bracebridge
William H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for fudging

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 fudging

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."

fudge

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]