A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

fierce --- 1240, from O.Fr. fers, nom. form of fer, fier "wild, ferocious," from L. ferus "wild, untamed," from PIE base *gwer- "wild, wild animal" (cf. Gk. ther, O.C.S. zveri, Lith. zveris "wild beast"). Originally in Eng. also with a sense of "brave, proud," which died out 16c., but caused the word at first to be commonly used as an epithet, which accounts for the rare instance of a Fr. word entering Eng. in the nom. case.

fieri facias --- writ concerning a sum awarded in judgment (often requiring seizure and sale of property for debt), 1463, from L., lit. "cause it to be done," the first words of the writ.

fiery --- c.1275, from M.E. fier "fire," the offbeat spelling is a relic of one of the attempts to render O.E. "y" in fyr in a changing system of vowel sounds.

fiesta --- 1844, from Sp., lit. "feast" (see feast).

fife --- 1540 (implied in fifer), from Ger. Pfeife "fife, pipe," from O.H.G. pfifa, or via M.Fr. fifre (15c.) from the same O.H.G. word. Ger. musicians provided music for most European courts in those days.

fifteen --- O.E. fiftyne, from fif "five" + tyne "teen," from ten "ten." (cf. O.N. fimtan, Swed. femton, Du. vüftien, Ger. fünfzehn, Goth. fimftaihun).

fifth --- M.E. fift, from O.E. fifta, from fif "five." Altered 14c. by infl. of fourth. Meaning "fifth part of a gallon of liquor" is first recorded 1938, Amer.Eng. Fifth Avenue (in New York City) has been used figuratively for "elegance, taste" since at least 1858. Fifth column is 1936, from Gen. Emilio Mola's comment during the siege of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War, that he would take the city with his "fifth column" (quinta columna) in the city as well as his four columns of troops outside it. Fifth wheel "superfluous person or thing" first attested 1631.

fifty --- O.E. fiftig, from fif "five" + -tig "group of ten." (cf. O.N. fimm tigir, Du. vijftig, Ger. fünfzig). U.S. colloquial fifty-fifty "in an even division" is from 1913.

fig --- c.1225, from O.Fr. figue, from O.Prov. figa, from V.L. *fica, from L. ficus "fig tree, fig," from a pre-I.E. Mediterranean language, possibly Semitic (cf. Phoenician pagh "half-ripe fig"). Earlier borrowed directly into O.E. from L. as fic. The insulting sense of the word in Shakespeare, etc. (A fig for ...) is 1579, from Gk. and It. use of their versions of the word as slang for "cunt," apparently because of how a ripe fig looks when split open. Giving the fig (Fr. faire la figue, Sp. dar la higa) was an indecent gesture of ancient provenance, made by putting the thumb between two fingers or into the mouth. See sycophant. Use of fig leaf in fig. sense of "flimsy disguise" (1553) is from Gen. iii.7.

fight (v.) --- O.E. feohtan "to fight" (class III strong verb; past tense feaht, pp. fohten), from P.Gmc. *fekhtanan (cf. O.H.G. fehtan, Du. vechten, O.Fris. fiuhta), from PIE *pek- "to pluck out" (wool or hair), apparently with a notion of "pulling roughly." Spelling substitution of -gh- for a "hard H" sound was a M.E. scribal habit, especially before -t-. In some late O.E. examples, the middle consonant was represented by a yogh. The noun is from O.E. feohte, gefeoht. First use of fighter for "fast military airplane used for combat" is from 1917.

figment --- 1432, from L. figmentum "something formed or fashioned, creation," related to figura "shape" (see figure (n.)).

figure (n.) --- c.1225, from O.Fr. figure, from L. figura "a shape, form, figure," from PIE *dheigh- "to form, build" (see dough); originally in Eng. with meaning "numeral," but sense of "form, likeness" is almost as old (c.1250). The verb meaning "to picture in the mind" is from 1603. Philosophical and scientific senses are from L. figura being used to translate Gk. skhema. Figurine is first attested 1854; a figurehead (1765) was originally the ornament on the bow of a ship; sense of "leader without real authority" is first attested 1883.

filament --- 1594, from Mod.L. filamentum, from L.L. filare "to spin, draw out in a long line," from L. filum "thread" (see file (v.)).

filbert --- hazelnut, 1393, from Anglo-Norm. philber (1292), from Norman dialect noix de filbert, in allusion to St. Philbert, 7c. Frank. abbot, so called because the hazel nuts ripen near his feast day, Aug. 22.

filch --- steal, 1561, slang, perhaps from c.1300 filchen "to snatch, take as booty," of unknown origin.

file (n.) --- metal tool, O.E. feol (Mercian fil), from P.Gmc. *finkhlo (cf. O.H.G. fila, M.Du. vile, Ger. Feile), probably from PIE *pik-/*peik- "cut" (cf. Skt. pimsati "hews out, carves," L. pingere "to paint," O.C.S. pila "file, saw," Lith. pela "file;" see paint). The verb in this sense is from c.1225.

file (v.) --- to place (papers) in consecutive order for future reference, 1473, from M.Fr. filer "string documents on a wire for preservation or reference," from fil "thread, string," from L. filum "thread," from PIE base *gwhis-lom (cf. Armenian jil "sinew, string, line," Lith. gysla "vein, sinew," O.C.S. zila "vein"). The notion is of documents hung up on a line like drying laundry. Methods have become more sophisticated, but the word has stuck. The noun first attested in Eng. in the military sense, "line or row of men," 1598, from M.Fr. filer in the sense of "spin out (thread), march in file." The noun meaning "arranged collection of papers" is from 1626; computer sense is from 1954.

filet --- 1841, reborrowing from Fr. of the same word that had been taken 14c. and Anglicized as fillet (q.v.). Filet mignon first recorded in Eng. 1906 in writings of O. Henry.

filial --- 1393, from M.Fr. filial, from L.L. filialis "of a son or daughter," from L. filius "son," filia "daughter," possibly from a suffixed form of PIE root *bheue- "to be, exist, grow" (see be), though *dhe(i)- "to suck, suckle" (see fecund) "is more likely" [Watkins].

filibuster (n.) --- 1587 as flibutor "pirate," probably ultimately from Du. vrijbuiter "freebooter," used of pirates in the West Indies as Sp. filibustero and Fr. flibustier, either or both of which gave the word to Amer.Eng. (see freebooter). Used 1850s and '60s of lawless adventurers from the U.S. who tried to overthrow Central American countries. The legislative sense is first recorded c.1851, probably because obstructionist legislators "pirated" debate. Not technically restricted to U.S. Senate, but that's where the strategy works best.

filigree --- 1693, shortening of filigreen (1668), from Fr. filigrane "filigree," from It. filigrana, from L. filum "thread" + granum "grain."

Filipino --- 1898 (fem. Filipina), from Sp., from las Islas Filipinas "the Philippine Islands."

fill (v.) --- O.E. fyllan, from P.Gmc. *fullijan (cf. O.S. fulljan, O.N. fylla, O.Fris. fella, Du. vullen, Ger. füllen "to fill"), a derivative of adj. *fullaz "full." The related noun meaning "a full supply" is M.E. fille, from O.E. fylle. To fill the bill (1882) was originally U.S. theatrical slang, in reference to a star whose name would be the only one on a show's poster.

fillet --- 1327, "headband," from O.Fr. filet, dim. of fil "thread." Sense of "cut of meat or fish" is c.1420, apparently so called because it was prepared by being tied up with a string.

fillip --- 1530, philippen "to flip something with the fingers, snap the fingers," possibly of imitative origin.

filly --- 1404, fyly, possibly from O.N. fylja, fem. of foli "foal" (see foal). Slang sense of "young girl" is from 1616.

film --- O.E. filmen "membrane, skin," from W.Gmc. *filminjan (cf. O.Fris. filmene "skin," O.E. fell "hide"), extended from P.Gmc. *fello(m) "animal hide," from PIE *pello-/*pelno- (cf. Gk. pella, L. pellis "skin"). Sense of "a thin coat of something" is 1577, extended by 1845 to the coating of chemical gel on photographic plates. By 1895 this also meant the coating plus the paper or celluloid. First used of "motion pictures" in 1905. The verb "to make a movie of" is from 1899.

filter (n.) --- c.1400, from M.L. filtrum "felt," which was used to strain impurities from liquid, from W.Gmc. *filtiz (see felt). Of cigarettes, from 1908. The verb is from 1576; the fig. sense is from 1830.

filth --- O.E. fylð, from P.Gmc. *fulitho, noun derivative of *fulo- "foul" (see foul). A classic case of i-mutation. Moral sense of "obscene" is first recorded 1535.

fin --- O.E. fin, from P.Gmc. *finno (cf. M.L.G. vinne, Du. vin), perhaps from L. pinna "feather, wing," or, less likely, from L. spina "thorn, spine" (see spike (n.1)). U.S. underworld slang sense of "$5 bill" is 1925, from Yiddish finif "five," from Ger. fünf. The same word had been used in England 1868 to mean "five pound note" (earlier finnip, 1839).

fin de siècle --- 1890, from Fr., "end of century," phrase used as an adj. At the time it meant "modern;" now it means "from the 1890s." "App. first in title of a comedy, Paris fin de siècle, produced at the Gymnase, Feb. 1890" [Weekley].

finagle --- 1926, Amer.Eng., possibly a variant of Eng. dial. fuinaigue "to cheat or renege" (at cards), of unknown origin.

final --- c.1330, from L. finalis "of or pertaining to an end," from finis "end" (see finish). Finalize is first recorded 1922 in Australian Eng. Finalist "competitor remaining after eliminations" is from 1898. Final solution is from 1947, a translation of Ger. Endlösungihame, name given to Nazi Jewish policy from 1941.

finale --- 1783, borrowed as a musical term from It. finale "final," from L. finalis "final," from finis "end" (see finish).

finance --- c.1400, "an end," from M.Fr. finance "ending, settlement of a debt," from M.L. finis "a payment in settlement, fine or tax," from L. finis "end" (see finish). The notion is of "ending" (by satisfying) something that is due (cf. Gk. telos "end;" pl. tele "services due, dues exacted by the state, financial means." See also fine (n.)). The Fr. senses were gradually brought into Eng.: "ransom" (1439), "taxation" (1489); the sense of "manage money" first recorded in Eng. 1770. Finances "pecuniary resources" is from 1781. Financier is from 1618, originally of Fr. tax farmers; sense of "capitalist" is first recorded 1867.

finch --- O.E. finc, from P.Gmc. *finkiz, *finkjon (cf. Du. vink, O.H.G. finco, Ger. Fink), perhaps imitative of the bird's note (cf. Breton pint "chaffinch," Rus. penka "wren").

find --- O.E. findan "come upon, alight on" (class III strong verb; past tense fand, pp. funden), from P.Gmc. *finthanan (cf. O.S. findan, O.N. finna, M.Du. vinden, Ger. finden, Goth. finþan), originally "to come upon," perhaps from PIE *pent- "to go, pass, path, bridge" (cf. O.H.G. fendeo "pedestrian," Skt. panthah "path, way," Avestan panta "way," Gk. pontos "open sea," L. pons (gen. pontis) "bridge," O.C.S. poti "path," peta "heel"). The noun meaning "person or thing discovered" is from 1890.

fine (adj.) --- c.1300, from O.Fr. fin "perfected, of highest quality," from L. finis "end, limit" (see finish); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." In Fr., the main meaning remains "delicate, intricately skillful;" in Eng. since c.1440 fine is also a general expression of admiration or approval, the equiv. of Fr. beau (cf. fine arts, 1767, translating Fr. beaux-arts). Finery "gaudy decoration" is first attested 1680. Fine print "qualifications and limitations of a deal" first recorded 1960. Fine-tune (v.) is 1969, a back-formation from fine-tuning (1924), originally in reference to radio receivers.

fine (n.) --- c.1200, "termination," from O.Fr. fin "end," from M.L. finis "a payment in settlement, fine or tax," from L. finis "end" (see finish). Modern meaning is via sense of "sum of money paid for exemption from punishment or to compensate for injury" (c.1340, from the same sense in Anglo-Fr., 1292) and from phrases such as to make fine "make one's peace, settle a matter" (1297). Meaning "sum of money imposed as penalty for some offense" is first recorded 1529; the verb meaning "to punish by a fine" is from 1559.

finesse --- 1528, from M.Fr. finesse "fineness, subtlety," from O.Fr. fin "subtle, delicate" (see fine (adj.)). The verb is first attested 1746.

finger --- O.E. fingor, from P.Gmc. *fingraz (cf. O.S. fingar, O.N. fingr, Du. vinger, Ger. Finger, Goth. figgrs), with no cognates outside Gmc.; perhaps connected with PIE *pengke, the root meaning "five." As a unit of measure (M.E.) it represents the breadth of a finger, about three-quarters of an inch. The verb meaning "identify a criminal" is underworld slang first recorded 1930. They are generally numbered from the thumb, and named index finger, fool's finger, leech- or physic-finger, and ear-finger.

finial --- ornament at the top of a spire, gable, etc., 1448, from feneal "putting an end to, binding" (1426), a variant of final.

finicky --- 1825, "dainty, mincing," from finical "too particular" (1592), perhaps from fine (adj.) + -ical as in cynical, ironical.

finish (v.) --- c.1350, from O.Fr. finiss-, stem of finir, from L. finire "to limit, set bounds, end," from finis "boundary, limit, border, end," of unknown origin, perhaps related to figere "to fasten, fix" (see fix). The noun is first attested 1790. Finishing school is from 1836.

finite --- 1410, from L. finitus, pp. of finire "to limit, set bounds, end," from finis (see finish).

fink --- 1902, of uncertain origin, possibly from Ger. Fink "a frivolous or dissolute person," originally "finch," which also gave it another sense of "informer" (cf. stool pigeon). The other theory traces it to Pinks, short for Pinkerton agents, the private police force hired to break up the 1892 Homestead strike.

Finn --- O.E. finnas, from O.N. finnr, the Norsemen's name for the Suomi. Some suggest a connection with fen.

fir --- c.1300; O.E. had furhwudu "pine wood," but the modern word is more likely from O.N. fyri- "fir" or O.Dan. fyr, all from P.Gmc. *furkhon (cf. O.H.G. foraha, Ger. Föhre "fir"), from PIE base *perkos, originally "oak" (cf. Skt. paraktah "the holy fig tree," Hind. pargai "the evergreen oak," L. quercus "oak," Lombard. fereha "a kind of oak").

Firbolgs --- 1797, ancient supernatural people of Ireland (enemies of the Dannans), perhaps from O.Ir. fir, pl. of fear "man" + bolg, gen. pl. of bolg "bag, belly;" or second element may be cognate with Gaulish Belgae.

fire (n.) --- O.E. fyr, from P.Gmc. *fuir (cf. O.Fris. fiur, O.N. fürr, M.Du. vuur, Ger. Feuer), from PIE *perjos, from root *paewr- (cf. Armenian hur "fire, torch," Czech pyr "hot ashes," Gk. pyr, Umbrian pir, Skt. pu, Hittite pahhur "fire"). Current spelling is attested as early as 1200, but did not fully displace M.E. fier (preserved in fiery) until c.1600. PIE apparently had two roots for fire: *paewr- and *egni- (cf. L. ignis). The former was "inanimate," referring to fire as a substance, and the latter was "animate," referring to it as a living force (see water). Fire applied in Eng. to passions, feelings, from c.1340. The v. sense of "sack, dismiss" is first recorded 1885 in Amer.Eng., probably from a play on the two meanings of discharge: "to dismiss from a position," and "to fire a gun," the second sense being from "set fire to gunpowder," attested from 1530. The first use of fireman as "person hired to put out (rather than tend) fires" is 1714. Firecracker is Amer.Eng. coinage for what is in England just cracker, but the U.S. word distinguishes it from the word meaning "biscuit." Firebrand "one who kindles mischief or passions" is from 1382. Firefly is attested from 1658. Fired up "angry" is from 1824. To play with fire "risk disaster" is from 1887; phrase where's the fire? "what's the hurry?" first recorded 1924.

firkin --- fourth part of a barrel, 1391, from M.Du. *vierdekijn, dim. of vierde, lit. "fourth, fourth part" (see fourth).

firm (adj.) --- c.1378, from O.Fr. ferme, from L. firmus "firm, stable," from PIE base *dher(e)- "to hold, support" (cf. Skt. dharmah "custom, law," Gk. thronos "seat," Lith. dirzmas "strong," Welsh dir "hard," Breton dir "steel"). The return in late 1500s to -i- from M.E. ferme was modeled on the L.

firm (n.) --- business house, 1744, from Ger. Firma "a business, name of a business," originally "signature," from It. firma "signature," from firmare "to sign," from L. firmare "make firm, affirm, confirm (by signature)," from firmus "firm, stable" (see firm (adj.)).

firmament --- c.1250, from L. firmamentum "firmament," lit. "a support or strengthening," from firmus "firm" (see firm (adj.)), used in Vulgate to translate Gk. stereoma "firm or solid structure," which translated Heb. raqia, a word used of both the vault of the sky and the floor of the earth in the O.T., probably lit. "expanse," from raqa "to spread out," but in Syriac meaning "to make firm or solid," hence the erroneous translation.

firn --- consolidated snow, the raw material of glaciers, 1853, lit. "last year's snow, névé," from Ger. Firn, from Swiss dial. firn "of last year," from M.H.G. virne "old," from O.H.G. firni, rel. to O.E. fyrn "old," Goth. fairns "of last year," from P.Gmc. *fur-/*for- (see first). The only Eng. relic of a useful word meaning "of last year" that was widespread in I.E. languages, cf. Lith. pernai "last year," Gk. perysi "a year ago, last year," Skt. parut "of last year."

first --- O.E. fyrst "foremost," superl. of fore, from P.Gmc. *furisto (cf. O.H.G. furist, O.N. fyrstr, Dan. første, O.Fris. fersta, M.Du. vorste "first," Ger. Fürst "prince"), superl. of *fur-/*for-, from PIE *pro- (cf. Skt. pura "before, formerly," Eng. fore). First-class (1858) "is from the universities via the railways" [Weekley]; first-rate (1666) is from classes of warships in the British navy. First aid is that given at the scene, pending the arrival of a doctor; firsthand is attested from 1732. First lady "wife of a U.S. president" seems to have been first used in 1948.

firth --- arm of the sea, estuary of a river, c.1425, Scot., from O.N. fjörðr (see fjord).

fiscal --- 1563, "pertaining to public revenue," from M.Fr. fiscal, from L.L. fiscalis "of or belonging to the state treasury," from L. fiscus "treasury," originally "purse, basket made of twigs (in which money was kept)," of unknown origin. The general sense of "financial" (1865, Amer.Eng.) was abstracted from phrases like fiscal calendar.

fish (n.) --- O.E. fisc, from P.Gmc. *fiskaz (cf. O.H.G. fisc, O.N. fiskr, Du. vis, Ger. Fisch, Goth. fisks), from PIE *piskos (cf. L. piscis). The verb is O.E. fiscian. Fishy "shady, questionable" is first recorded 1840, perhaps from the notion of "slipperiness," or of giving off an intrusive odor. Fish story attested from 1819, from the tendency to exaggerate the size of the catch (or the one that got away). Fishtail (v.), of vehicles, first recorded 1927. Fig. sense of fish out of water first recorded 1613. "Of all diversions ... fishing is the worst qualified to amuse a man who is at once indolent and impatient." [Scott, 1814]

fission --- 1841, "division of a cell or organism," from L. fissionem (nom. fissio) "a breaking up, cleaving," from root of findere "to split" (see fissure). Cognate with O.E. bitan "to bite." Nuclear physics sense is 1939.

fissure --- c.1400, from O.Fr. fissure, from L. fissura "a cleft," from root of findere "to split, cleave," from PIE *bhi-n-d-, from base *bheid- "to split" (cf. Skt. bhinadmi "I cleave," O.H.G. bizzan "to bite," O.E. bita "a piece bitten off, morsel," O.N. beita "to hunt with dogs," beita "pasture, food").

fist --- O.E. fyst, from W.Gmc. *fustiz (cf. O.H.G. fust, O.Fris. fest, M.Du. vuust, Ger. Faust), from P.Gmc. *fukhstiz, probably ult. from PIE *pengke "five" (cf. O.C.S. pesti, Rus. piasti "fist"). Fisticuff is first recorded 1605, from fist + cuff (q.v.).

fistula --- long, narrow ulcer, 1373, from L. fistula "pipe, ulcer," of uncertain origin.

fit (adj.) --- suited to the circumstances, proper, c.1440, of unknown origin, perhaps from M.E. noun fit "an adversary of equal power" (c.1250), which is perhaps connected to fit (n.1). The verb meaning "to be the right shape" is first attested 1581. First record of fitness is from 1580. Survival of the fittest (1867) coined by H. Spencer.

fit (n.1) --- 1823, "the fitting of one thing to another," later (1831) "the way something fits." Origin obscure, possibly from O.E. fitt "a conflict, a struggle" (see fit (n.2)).

fit (n.2) --- paroxysm, sudden attack (as of anger), 1547, probably via M.E. sense of "painful, exciting experience," from O.E. fitt "conflict, struggle," of uncertain origin, with no clear cognates outside Eng. Phrase by fits and starts first attested 1620. Fitful was used once by Shakespeare ("Macbeth" iii.2) in sense of "characterized by fits," then revived by Scott (1810) with a sense of "shifting, changing."

fitz --- Anglo-Fr. fitz, from O.Fr. fils, from L. filius "son of" (see filial); used regularly in official rolls and hence the first element of many modern surnames; in later times used of illegitimate issue of royalty.

five --- O.E. fif, from P.Gmc. *fimfe (cf. O.S. fif, O.N. fimm, O.H.G. funf, Goth. fimf), from PIE *pengke (cf. Skt. panca, Gk. pente, L. quinque, O.C.S. peti, Lith. penke, O.Welsh pimp). Slang five-finger discount "theft" is from 1966.

fix (v.) --- c.1370, probably from O.Fr. *fixer, from fixe "fixed," from L. fixus, pp. of figere "to fix, fasten," from PIE base *dhigw- "to stick, to fix." Earliest Eng. usage was to "fix" one's eyes or mind on something; sense of "fasten, attach" is c.1400; that of "settle, assign" is pre-1500 and evolved into "adjust, arrange" (1663), then "repair" (1737). Sense of "tamper with" (a fight, a jury, etc.) is 1790. As euphemism for "castrate a pet" it dates from 1930. The noun meaning "a position from which it is difficult to move" is first recorded 1816, Amer.Eng., from the verb. Meaning "dose of narcotic" is from 1934, originally fix-up, which dates from 1867 in ref. to liquor. Fixture "anything fixed or securely fastened" is from 1812.

fixate (v.) --- 1926, originally in Freudian theory, a back-formation from fixation (1393), an alchemical word which had been used in the Freudian sense since 1910; see fix.

fizz --- 1665, of imitative origin; meaning "effervescent drink" is from 1864.

fizzle --- c.1532, "to break wind without noise," probably altered from obsolete fist, from M.E. fisten "break wind" (see feisty). Sense of "failure, fiasco" is from 1846, originally U.S. college slang for "failure in an exam."

fjord --- 1674, from Norw. fiord, from O.N. fjörðr, from N.Gmc. *ferthuz, from PIE *prtus, from *por- "going, passage" (see port (1)).

flab --- 1923, back-formation from flabby.

flabbergast --- 1772, mentioned (with bored) in a magazine article as a new vogue word, perhaps from some dialect (in 1823 it was noted as a Sussex word), likely an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast.

flabby --- 1697, variant of flappy, which is recorded in the sense of "softly fleshy" from 1598; see flap.

flaccid --- 1620, from Fr. flaccide, from L. flaccidus "flabby," from flaccus "flabby," of uncertain origin (OED suggests it's onomatopoeic).

flack --- publicity or press agent, 1946, said to have been coined in show biz magazine "Variety" (but this is not the first attested use), supposedly from name of Gene Flack, a movie agent, but influenced by flak.

flag (n.) --- cloth ensign, c.1480, now in all modern Gmc. languages, but apparently first recorded in Eng., origin unknown, but likely connected with flag (v.) or else, like it, onomatopoeic. A less likely guess is that it is from the flag in flagstone (q.v.) on notion of being square and flat. Flagship is 1672, ship bearing an admiral's flag. U.S. Flag Day (1894) is in reference to the adopting of the Stars and Stripes by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.

flag (v.) --- 1545, "flap about loosely," perhaps a variant of M.E. flakken, flacken "to flap, flutter," probably from O.N. flakka "to flicker, flutter," perhaps onomatopoeic of something flapping in the wind. Sense of "go limp, droop" is first recorded 1611. Meaning "to designate as someone who will not be served more liquor" is from 1980s, probably from use of flags to signal trains, etc., to halt, which led to the verb in this sense (1856).