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Fancy vs Big - What's the difference?

fancy | big | Related terms |

Fancy is a related term of big.


As nouns the difference between fancy and big

is that fancy is the imagination while big is a biological insulation garment; an air-tight, full-body suit intended to prevent the spread of contaminants.

As an adjective fancy

is decorative.

As a verb fancy

is (formal) to appreciate without jealousy or greed.

fancy

English

Alternative forms

* (all obsolete)

Noun

(fancies)
  • The imagination.
  • * Milton
  • In the soul / Are many lesser faculties, that serve / Reason as chief. Among these fancy next / Her office holds.
  • An image or representation of anything formed in the mind; conception; thought; idea.
  • * Shakespeare
  • How now, my lord! why do you keep alone, / Of sorriest fancies your companions making?
  • An opinion or notion formed without much reflection; an impression.
  • * John Locke
  • I have always had a fancy that learning might be made a play and recreation to children.
  • A whim.
  • I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.
  • Love or amorous attachment.
  • He took a fancy to her.
  • The object of inclination or liking.
  • * Shakespeare
  • to fit your fancies to your father's will
  • Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
  • Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.
    the cat fancy
  • The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
  • He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.
  • * De Quincey
  • a great book sale in London, which had congregated all the fancy
  • A diamond with a distinctive colour.
  • That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
  • * Mortimer
  • London pride is a pretty fancy for borders.
  • (obsolete) A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
  • (Shakespeare)
  • In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
  • * 1970 , Marta Weigle, Follow my fancy: the book of jacks and jack games (page 22)
  • When you have mastered plainsies, the regular jack game, and have learned all the rules, you will be ready to use this part of the book. A fancy is a variation of plainsies which usually requires more skill than plainsies does.
  • * 2002 , Elizabeth Dana Jaffe, ?Sherry L. Field, ?Linda D. Labbo, Jacks (page 26)
  • When you get good at jacks, try adding a fancy . A fancy is an extra round at the end of a game. It makes the game a little harder. Jack Be Nimble, Around the World, or Black Widow are some fancies.

    Derived terms

    * flight of fancy * tickle someone's fancy

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Decorative.
  • This is a fancy shawl.
  • Of a superior grade.
  • This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.
  • Executed with skill.
  • He initiated the game winning play with a fancy , deked saucer pass to the winger.
  • (colloquial) Unnecessarily complicated.
  • I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.
  • (obsolete) Extravagant; above real value.
  • * Macaulay
  • This anxiety never degenerated into a monomania, like that which led his [Frederick the Great's] father to pay fancy prices for giants.

    Synonyms

    * (decorative) decorative, ornate * (unnecessarily complicated) highfalutin

    Antonyms

    * (decorative) plain, simple * (unnecessarily complicated) simple

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (formal) To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
  • I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.
  • (British) would like
  • I fancy a burger tonight for dinner
    Do you fancy going to town this weekend?
  • (British, informal) To be sexually attracted to.
  • I fancy that girl over there.
  • (dated) To imagine, suppose.
  • I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey.
    Fancy meeting you here!
    Fancy that! I saw Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy kissing in the garden.
  • * John Locke
  • If our search has reached no farther than simile and metaphor, we rather fancy than know.
  • * Thackeray
  • He fancied he was welcome, because those around him were his kinsmen.
  • * 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
  • I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable.
  • To form a conception of; to portray in the mind; to imagine.
  • * Dryden
  • he whom I fancy , but can ne'er express
  • To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
  • * Shakespeare
  • We fancy not the cardinal.

    Synonyms

    * (be sexually attracted to) like (US) * (would like to) feel like

    Derived terms

    * fancy that

    See also

    * fantasy * fancy man * fancy oneself * fancypants * fancy woman

    big

    English

    Etymology 1

    From a northern (etyl) dialectal term (m), .

    Adjective

    (bigger)
  • Of great size, large.
  • :
  • *
  • *:The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line,, with their court of farm and church and clustered village, in dignified seclusion.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The rise of smart beta , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
  • (lb) Thought to have undue influence.
  • :
  • Popular.
  • :
  • (lb) Adult.
  • :
  • *1931 , , Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer , Montgomery Ward (publisher), draft:
  • *:By midnight, however, the last light had fled / For even big people have then gone to bed[.]
  • (lb) Fat.
  • (lb) Important or significant.
  • :
  • *
  • *:"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Neil Johnston, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Norwich 3-3 Blackburn , passage=It proved a big miss as Hoilett produced a sublime finish into the top corner of the net from 20 yards after evading a couple of challenges in first-half stoppage time.}}
  • Enthusiastic (about).
  • :
  • (lb) Mature, conscientious, principled.
  • :
  • :
  • (lb) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.
  • :
  • Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.
  • :
  • *(and other bibliographic details) (Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
  • *:[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.
  • (lb)
  • :
  • Synonyms
    * (of a great size) ample, huge, large, sizeable, stoor, jumbo, massive * (adult) adult, fully grown, grown up * See also
    Antonyms
    * (of a great size) little, small, tiny, minuscule, miniature, minute * (adult) little, young
    Derived terms
    * Big Apple * big-ass * big baby * big band * Big Bang * big bath * big beat * Big Ben * Big Bertha * big blind * big bluestem * Big Board * big-boned * big box * big boy/big boys * big break * big brother * Big Brother * big bucks * big business * big C * big cat * big cheese * Big Crunch * Big D * big daddy * big deal * Big Dipper * Big Easy * big enchilada * big end * big fat/big-fat/big phat * big figure * big fish * big fly * Big Four * big game * biggie, no biggie * big girl's blouse * big government * big gun * big H/Big H * big hair * big hand * big head/big-head * big-headed * big-hearted * big house * big idea * big if * big iron * Big Island * big kid * big labor * big-league * big lick * big lie * big lug * big kahuna * Big Mac * big money * big mouth * Big Muddy * big name / big-name * bigness * big O * big O notation * big old/big ole * big one/the big one * big pharma * big picture * Big Q * big rig * Big Rip * big science * big screen * big shagbank * big shot * big shoulder * big six/the big six * Big Six * big sleep * big slick * Big Smoke * big spender * big spring * big stick * Big Sur * big talk * big tent * Big Three * big-ticket * big time/big-time/bigtime * big toe * big top/big-top * big tree * Big Uglies * big up * big wheel * big whoop * big wig/big-wig/bigwig * big-wigged * big wow * great big * hit it big * make it big * /Mr Big/Mister Big * the bigs * too big for one's boots * too big to fail

    Adverb

    (bigger)
  • In a loud manner.
  • In a boasting manner.
  • He's always talking big , but he never delivers.
  • In a large amount or to a large extent.
  • He won big betting on the croquet championship.
  • On a large scale, expansively
  • You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.
  • Hard.
  • He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.
  • (as plural) The big leagues, big time.
  • *
  • Synonyms
    * (big leagues) major leagues

    Verb

    (up)
  • To praise or recommend
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) (m), . Cognate with (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m).

    Verb

  • to inhabit; occupy
  • to locate one's self
  • to build; erect; fashion
  • to dwell; have a dwelling
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l) * (l), (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (-)
  • One or more kinds of barley, especially (six-rowed barley).
  • Statistics

    *