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Fob vs Flob - What's the difference?

fob | flob |

As nouns the difference between fob and flob

is that fob is a little pocket near the waistline of a pair of trousers or in a waistcoat or vest to hold a pocketwatch; a watch pocket while flob is spittle, especially a piece of spittle that has been spat out.

As verbs the difference between fob and flob

is that fob is to cheat, to trick, to take in, to impose upon someone while flob is to spit or to gob.

As an initialism FOB

is forward operating base.

As an acronym FOB

is free On Board.

fob

English

Etymology 1

* High German

Noun

(en noun)
  • A little pocket near the waistline of a pair of trousers or in a waistcoat or vest to hold a pocketwatch; a watch pocket.
    • 1711 Jonathan Swift , Windsor Prophecy :
  • :* With a saint at his chin and a seal at his fob .
  • A short chain or ribbon to connect such a pocket to the watch.
  • A small ornament attached to such a chain. (See Usage Notes below)
  • A hand-held remote control device used to lock/unlock motor cars etc.
    • Usage notes
    * The Jonathan Swift quote indicates that the word "fob" at that time period did not specifically apply to an object attached to the chain or watch. * A "fob" attached directly to the watch serves as an ornament and or as a grip for more easily pulling the watch from the watch pocket. * A fob attached to a drooping chain would be mainly an ornament.

    Etymology 2

    (etyl)

    Alternative forms

    * fub

    Verb

    (fobb)
  • (archaic) To cheat, to trick, to take in, to impose upon someone.
    • 1604 William Shakespeare , Othello, iv, 2:
  • :* I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it.
  • (archaic) To beat; to maul.
    • Derived terms
    * to fob off

    References

    * 1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language , Robert Hunter and Charles Morris, eds., v 2 p 2146.

    Anagrams

    * *

    flob

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • (UK, slang) spittle, especially a piece of spittle that has been spat out

    • Verb

  • (UK, slang) To spit or to gob.
  • *2010 , Charlie Brooker, The Guardian , 27 Sep 2010:
  • *:I pointed out that they both looked equally unhappy, and that he was essentially kicking himself. He contemplated this for a moment, then flobbed at me and kicked the weakling slightly harder.

    • References

    *OED 2006