‘to impress on the popular mind
The comfort and wisdom of goin’ it blind.’
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 328. Blind Poker has given rise to
the very common phrase, to go it blind, used whenever an enterprise
is undertaken without previous inquiry.
1882. General Sherman, Memoirs, vol. I., p. 342. I know that in
Washington I am incomprehensible, because at the outset of the war
I would not go it blind, and rush headlong into a war unprepared
and with an utter ignorance of its extent and purpose.
1888. Chicago Ledger, May 12. ‘And so you’ve married a jewel, have
you, Tom?’ ‘I have, for a fact, Dick.’ ‘Lucky dog! You’re a man in
a million. Mighty few go it blind and fare as well as you’ve done.’
‘I didn’t go it blind. I employed a detective, and he managed to
get board in the family.’
Blind Cheeks, subs. (common).—The posteriors. [The derivation is from
an obvious simile.]
Among English Synonyms are—Two fat cheeks and ne’er a nose; blind
Cupid; ampersand; cheeks; arse; corybungo; dopey; droddum; dummock;
feak; bum; nock (i.e., ‘a notch’); round mouth; windmill; blind-eye;
monocular eye-glass.
French Synonyms. Un borgne (low: ‘a one-eyed person’); un cyclope (the
allusion is mythological—from Cyclops, the one-eyed giant, whose optic
was placed in the middle of the forehead); la rose des vents; un piffe;
un pignard; boite aux ordures. German Synonym. Acherponim (from Hebrew
achar ponim; literally ‘the face at the back’). For other synonyms, see
Bum.
Blind Drunk, adj. phr. (common).—Very intoxicated; so drunk as to be
unable to see better than a blind man. Americans say, ‘So drunk as not
to be able to see through a ladder.’ For synonyms, see Screwed.
1845. Disraeli, Sybil or the Two Nations, p. 350. Hang me if I
wasn’t blind drunk at the end of it.
Blinder. To take a blinder, phr. (thieves’).—To die. For synonyms, see
Aloft.
Blind Eye, subs. (common).—The podex.—See Blind cheeks.
Blind Half Hundred, subs. (military).—The Fiftieth Regiment of Foot;
from so many men suffering from ophthalmia during the Egyptian campaign
[1801]; also the Dirty Half Hundred from the men in action wiping their
faces with their black facings during the Peninsula War. Half Hundred
is an adaptation of the number of the regiment—the Fiftieth. The corps
is also called the ‘Gallant Fiftieth,’ from its gallantry at the battle
of Vimiera, 1808.
1871. Chambers’ Journal, No. 417, p. 803. The Dirty Half Hundred
was the curious nickname given to the 50th Foot. Two accounts are
given of the origin of this. One asserts that it was from their red
uniforms being faced with black and silver lace, and thus giving
the regiment a dull and sombre appearance; whilst the other tells
us that it was from the men wiping their perspiring faces with the
black cuffs of their coats, and thus giving their countenances a
somewhat swarthy tint. Whatever may be the origin of this
sobriquet, they bear a second about which there can be no doubt.
From the glorious charge, led by Colonel Walker, at Vimiera, this
regiment is known as the ‘Gallant Fiftieth.’
1886. Tinsley’s Magazine, April, p. 322. Most people have heard of
the ‘Fighting Fiftieth.’ But the 50th are rich in nicknames. They
are, or at least they were, the Blind Half-Hundredth, having been
but too literally blinded by the ravages of ophthalmia when in
Egypt with Sir Ralph Abercromby. And when on one occasion the men
dried the perspiration from their faces with their cuffs, they for
a while became the Dirty Half-Hundredth.
Blind Harpers, subs. (old).—Beggars counterfeiting blindness, playing
on fiddles, etc.—Grose.
Blind-Man’s Holiday, subs. (familiar).—Formerly this common
colloquialism signified the night or darkness; it is now, however,
usually applied to the time ‘between lights’ when it is too dark to
see, but often not dark enough to light up, and a holiday or rest from
work is taken. The blind from their infirmity are in general exempted
from labour, and in this view keep holiday; when the twilight hour
comes, when those that can work, or read, etc., can no longer see to do
so, it is blind-man’s holiday to them, and they of necessity rest
accordingly. This derivation, one would think, is sufficiently obvious;
but, on the other hand, there are those who think the expression a
corruption of ‘blind-man’s all-day.’ The meaning then would be that the
gradual departure of light brings one to the state which the blind man
endures all day, or which is all the day the blind man has. Whichever
derivation be true, it is, however, interesting to note that this
‘household word’ of to-day has been in the mouths of the English people
for more than three hundred years. It is the English equivalent of the
Scotch in the gloaming, of an equally venerable lineage.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, in wks. V., 263. And what will not
blinde Cupid doe in the night which is his blindman’s holiday?
1738. Swift, Polite Conversation (conv. iii.). Indeed, madam, it is
blindman’s holiday; we shall soon be all of a colour.
1824. T. Fielding, Proverbs, etc. (Familiar Phrases), p. 147.
Blindman’s holiday.
1866. Aunt Judy’s Mag., Oct., 358. At meal times, or in blindman’s
holiday, when no work was to be done. [M.]
Blind Monkeys, subs. (common).—Hotten thus explains this expression:—An
imaginary collection at the Zoological Gardens, which are supposed to
receive care and attention from persons fitted by nature for such
office and for little else. An idle and useless person is often told
that he is only fit to lead the blind monkeys to evacuate. Another form
this elegant conversation takes, is for one man to tell another that he
knows of a suitable situation for him. ‘How much a week? and what to
do?’ are natural questions, and then comes the scathing and sarcastic
reply, ‘Five bob a week at the doctor’s—you’re to stand behind the door
and make the patients sick. They won’t want no physic when they sees
your mug.’
Blindo, verb (military).—To die. For synonyms, see Aloft.
Blind One’s Trail, verbal phr. (American).—Figuratively, to remove the
traces of one’s actions; to conceal one’s intentions. This expression
is obviously traceable to the days of Indian warfare, when even the
lives of those engaged often depended upon the success with which the
trail could be ‘blinded,’ or obliterated. Also to trash one’s trail
(q.v.).
Blind Side, subs. (familiar).—The blind side of a person or thing is
that which is weakest; the most assailable side. The expression is much
older than the example quoted by Murray [1655].
1606. Chapman, Gentleman Usher, Act i., p. 79 (Plays, 1874).
For that, we’ll follow the blind side of him,
And make it sometimes subject of our mirth.
1663. Dryden, Wild Gallant, Act iii. Con. My father’s credulous,
and this rogue has found the blind side of him.
1742. Fielding, Joseph Andrews, bk. III., ch. v. Indeed, if this
good man had an enthusiasm, or what the vulgar call a blind side,
it was this,—he thought a schoolmaster the greatest character in
the world, and himself the greatest of all schoolmasters.
1820. Lamb, Elia (Mrs. Battle). All people have their blind
side—their superstitions.
Blink, verb (American).—To drink. [Probably of humorous origin, similar
to smile (q.v.).—and alluding to a wink or blink exchanged between
friends and comrades before drinking. A frequent toast is ‘I look
towards you,’ and the transference of sense in such a phrase as ‘I
wink’ or ‘blink to you,’ and then the use of to blink for ‘to drink’ is
easy enough. Cf., also To go out and see a man.]
Blinker, subs. (popular).—1. The eye. [From blink, to move the eyelids,
to wink; Cf., Winkers; Peepers; Optics, etc.] For synonyms, see Glims.
1816. Quiz, Grand Master, I., ii. A patent pair of goggle winkers,
Conceal’d from public view his blinkers. [M.]
1888. American Humorist. ‘Blank your blinkers,’ angrily retorted
Brudee, ‘your business was not to fight, but show us the enemy.’