foist

verb

1. (transitive)To introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant.

   “But apart from this, it is difficult for a man like Watt to tell a long story like Watt's without leaving out some things, and foisting in others.”

   “the Tale of Zayn al-Asnám is one of two which Galland repudiated, as having been foisted into his 8th volume without his knowledge”

   “attempts to foist alleged grammatical “correctness” on native speakers of an “incorrect” dialect are nothing but the unacknowledged and oppressive exercise of social control”

2. (transitive)To force another to accept especially by stealth or deceit; to stick.

   “I am, of course, perfectly aware of how old men try to foist on the public the decay of their intellects and all the rest of their senile shortcomings as valuable qualities, the possession of which gives them special authority.”

   “It is only a decade or so since the air was thick with muttering that L.M.S. influence was far too strong on the newly-born Railway Executive and that too many L.M.S. practices were being foisted on the rest of the system.”

3. (transitive)To pass off as genuine or worthy.

   “foist costly and valueless products on the public”

noun

1. (historical, slang)A thief or pickpocket.

   “The foist had lately arrived form the country and was known to be doing a thriving trade in and around Westminster Hall where many country folk and others came to see lawyers.”

2. (obsolete)A type of light and fast-sailing ship.

   “These are mad boys, I tell you; these are things That will not strike their top-sails to a foist, / And let a man of war, an argosy, Hull and cry cockles.”

3. (obsolete)A cask for wine.
4. Fustiness; mustiness.
5. A follower of Chinese Buddhism.

adj

1. (alt-of, not-comparable, pronunciation-spelling)Pronunciation spelling of first.

   “Cause if yer did the foist thing yer know along would come a blizzard an’ make yer out a liar.”

   “Guess that brandy the doc give me was the foist thing set me straight.”

   “You know more about sculpture than what I do, Dirk, but you don’t know the foist thing about rugs.”

   “Now, the foist thing we gotta do is put a guard on the door an’ see that nobody leaves the house.”

   “And the foist thing you know, he’s a musician, no less![…]They noticed I looked worried, and started givin’ me the third degree, and the foist thing you know they got it odda me.”