Faunch

(Did you mean the Walter Coslet apazine?)

1. to desire, to want, to yearn for — with sexual overtones, "She’s got a serious faunch for that guy built like a gorilla" — or without, "I’m faunching for that collector’s edition."
2. to hunt for: "He's gone on the faunch for some bheer."

Originally, a sort of vague, indeterminate yearning or tendency: Sehnsucht; sometimes the physical activity resulting therefrom. Over the years it has become less vague and more intense a reaction, to the point that cries of "Faunch! Faunch!" may be heard, indicating a high degree of desire for the subject of the reaction. The extreme form is Faunching Backwards.

The term originated in mundania, where it means “to display angry excitement: rant and rave,” according to Merriam-Webster.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

A sort of vague, indeterminate yearning or tendency; sometimes, the physical activity resulting therefrom.

From Fancyclopedia 2 Supplement, ca. 1960

The curious history of this word in fandom deserves mention. "Faunch" first appeared in Pro-Phile in a review writ by Noel Loomis; he mentioned his "typewriter faunching at the platen while he finished reading a story". The word fascinated Boggs, who used it years later in a WO3W letter; there it fascinated Grennell who used it in Grue and other places. The word actually refers to the way a horse champs at the bit, impatient to prance away as soon as the reins are loosened. This is known as faunching at the bit and was a common expression of yore. It has gone into obscurity, naturally, since the advent of the auto; fandom is probably one of the few places where it is still used.

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Fanspeak

1950s—

This is a fanspeak page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was coined, whether it’s still in use, etc.