fossick

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

fossick (FAW-sik, FAH-sik) - v.i., to rummage or search around, especially for a possible profit. v.t., to search for by or as if by rummaging.


Formerly, often specifically in mining situations, such as fossicking through mine tailings for gold or other minerals overlooked by the original miners. Primarily used in Australia and New Zealand, though I've heard it once or twice in the States. Originally English dialect (though what region, I'm not finding), first recorded around 1850 in the sense of find out, ferret out, dig up, possibly from fussick, to bustle about, making it related to fuss, as in making a.

Every time they reorganize our policies-and-procedures, I have to fossick a bit to find where they moved things.

---L.

Comments

[fidgetspin.livejournal.com]

I like it! :-)

[dylan-weir.livejournal.com]

Cool, I love this term! I use it all the time and I'm from a NZ mining town.
My room is always messy and it's necessary to fossick.

[nerdfury.livejournal.com]

Australian slang, meaning 'to work out the pillars of abandoned claims, or work over waste heaps in hope of finding gold.'

From English fossick, fossuck, troublesome person, fussick to potter over one's work, fussock to bustle about.

:D

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Does your source say where in England it was used?

---L.

[nerdfury.livejournal.com]

Nope. Specifically notes 'unknown origin.'

[nerdfury.livejournal.com]

So essentially it's just an ordinary garnet that was found lying about after someone else had mined the region. Likely dropped off of the mining cart on the way out.