foist etymology

Etymology:

The word "foist" comes from the Middle French word "fouster," which means "to push or thrust." It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "fustare," meaning "to beat or strike."

Meaning:

1. To introduce or pass off something as genuine when it is not:

• The con artist foisted a fake painting on the unsuspecting collector.
• The politician foisted false news stories to manipulate the public.

2. To impose something unwanted or unwelcome on:

• The landlord foisted a large rent increase on the tenants.
• The bully foisted a fistfight on the smaller child.

Origin:

The word "foist" first appeared in English in the early 16th century. Its original meaning was "to thrust or push," but it gradually acquired the figurative meanings of "to palm off something as genuine" and "to impose something unwelcome."

In the 1590s, the word "foist" was commonly used in a slang sense to refer to a cheat or fraud. Shakespeare used it in this sense in his play "The Merry Wives of Windsor":

"I will not trust a halfpenny worth of copper in the hands of so shallow a knave as thou art. Thou mightst foist me into a whole legion of devils."

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