"Fay" relates to "fairy". Someone who is "fay" is
touched by the fairies, may be a fairy, (the little
gossamer-winged type, not like Wally the birthday
fairy!) may be a changeling, which would make them
flighty, ephemeral, not-quite-there and so on, just as
you say.
--- Rob Ettridge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >Question: What does "fay" mean, as in " I'm rich
> and I'm fay" in FSTB?
>
> I don't know a dictionary definition of fay, but in
> England it means
> 'effeminate in a weak way' or 'flighty' or
> 'insincere' or 'light-hearted'.
> I wish I knew a precise definition, but this is
> roughly what I take it to
> mean. Anyway, it's certainly not positive, it's
> used rather dismissively.
>
> I think it's Shakespearean as well, but I don't know
> the exact source.
>
> What I think Joni means in FSTB is that she's not a
> 'serious' blues musician
> like Furry. Not that she necessarily believes this,
> but she's being
> self-degrading/effacing in the same way she is when
> she says 'I'm not
> familiar with what you play' or 'while our limo is
> shining on his shanty
> street'. A kind of 'I know I'm not worthy, but...'
>
> She's admitting that she's just having a passing
> interest and she'll move
> onto something else tomorrow.
>
> I also think that 'fay'-ness is maybe what Furry
> accused her of in that
> article where he is annoyed at the song and her
> attitude.
>
> Of course, this is completely invalid if she has a
> different meaning to the
> word 'fay', but that's how I've always read it.
>
> Rob
>
> ---------------------------------------
> 'Reno Dakota, I'm reaching my quota
> Of tears for the year'
> - The Magnetic Fields
> ---------------------------------------
>
>
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