A warm, stuffy, or smoky atmosphere in an enclosed space, or the feeling of heaviness from poor air quality.
British slang from the 1870s, possibly from 'fog' or related to dialectal 'fudge.' The exact origin is unclear, but it gained popularity in English literature describing unpleasant indoor conditions.
British writers loved this word—it's incredibly efficient at describing that specific suffocating feeling in a crowded, warm room before modern air conditioning, making it a time capsule of Victorian discomfort.
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