footmanship

footmanship

English

Etymology

footman +‎ -ship

Noun

footmanship (uncountable)

1. (historical) The post or position of footman; the skill or art of a footman.
   • 1844, Martin Farquhar Tupper, The Crock of Gold, London: Richard Bentley, Chapter 23, p. 187,

     As the precious ‘lad’ grew older, and divers indoor potentates died off, the housekeeper had power to push her nephew on to pageship, footmanship, and divers other similar crafts, even to the final post of butler […]

   • 1854, Grace Greenwood, Haps and Mishaps of a Tour in Europe, Boston: Ticknor, Reed & Fields, Chapter , p. 51,

     […] a rich-liveried footman was lounging in an easy chair, with his heels as high as his head […] and from this comfortable position he budged not an inch at the importunate summons […] . “What!” cried the primitive and provincial serving man, “don’t you answer the drawing-room bell?” “Not unless they persewere,” was the cool response of his footmanship.

   • 1909, Gelett Burgess, Lady Méchante, Cambridge University Press, Book IV, Chapter Eight, p. 378,

     […] I think […] you’d better change your work for something out of doors, where I won’t trouble you so much. Can you do anything else but footmanship?

   • 1949, John Pauker (translator), The Dukays by Lajos Zilahy, New York: Prentice-Hall, Part Three, Chapter 5, p. 177,

     They too were ranged in order of rank: four chamberlains, four Hussars, four Chasseurs, and four butlers—these were the degrees within the hierarchy of footmanship.

2. (archaic) The skill or ability to run (of humans or animals).
   • 1567, Arthur Golding (translator), The XV Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis, Book 1,

     Both twaine of them doe straine themselues and lay on footemanship,

     Who may best runne with all his force the tother to outstrip,

   • 1593, Gervase Markham, A Discource of Horsmanshippe, London: Richard Smith, Chapter 1,

     […] your Foales by scoping & galloping thereon, shall be brought to such nimblenesse, strength, and true footemanship, that they shall not only haue a most excellent braue trotte, but also during theyr lyues […] they shalbe frée from that foule vice of stumbling.

   • 1616, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, edited by Israel Gollancz, London: J.M. Dent, 1897, Scene 12, p. 61,

     I’ll raise a kennel of hounds, shall hunt him so,

     As all his footmanship shall scarce prevail

     To keep his carcase from their bloody fangs.

   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Abstemius, &c.] Fab[le] Fable 325. A Fox and a Hare. (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], OCLC 228727523, page 284:

     And yet for All That, says the Fox, I have Baffled more of ’em with My Wiles and my Shifts, then ever You did with your Footmanship.

   • 1727, Daniel Defoe, A tour thro’ the whole island of Great Britain, London: J. Osborn et al., 1742, Letter 7, p. 351,

     The People in [Worcestershire] have been more particularly famous than any other for good Footmanship; and there have been, and still are among them, some of the fleetest Runners in England […]