Blank your blinkers.—A euphemistic oath, equivalent to the more common
‘D——n your eyes.’—See Oaths.
Blink-Fencer, subs. (thieves’).—A person who sells spectacles. [From
blink, a contracted form of ‘blinkers,’ spectacles + fence, primarily a
receiver of stolen goods, but also applied to a tradesman of any kind,
+ er.]
Blinko, subs. (thieves’ and vagrants’).—An amateur entertainment held,
generally, at a public house; a free and easy (q.v.); a sing song
(q.v.).
1877. J. Greenwood, Dick Temple. ‘What is a blinko for instance?’
‘Well, it’s a kind of entertainment, singing, and that,’ replied
the old fellow, ‘to which strangers are not invited—least of all
the police.’
1883. Daily Telegraph, August 4, p. 2, col. 1. ‘An Harmonic blinko,
the proceeds of which will be given towards buying a barrow for
Young Duckling, who has got married with no visible means of
support.’
Blister, verb (common).—Employed euphemistically for ‘to damn.’ Cf.,
Blamed.
1840. H. Cockton, Valentine Vox, ch. xxvi. ‘Where can they be hid?’
he exclaimed, with great emphasis. ‘Blister ’em! Where can the
scoundrels be got to?’
Blizzard, subs. (popular).—A poser; a stunning blow; an unanswerable
argument, etc., etc. This word, recently brought into prominent notice
as the name by which sudden and exceptionally severe snowstorms are
known in the Western States of America, is one the etymology of which
is dubious. Some authorities derive it from the German blitz—lightning,
but a correspondent of N. and Q. claims it as of English nationality,
asserting that the word has been known in the Midland Counties in its
present form, or nearly so, for over thirty years; further stating that
‘may I be blizzered’ is a common oath there. Assuming that the
expression is a variation of the more generally familiar ‘May God
strike me blind’ (that is, presumably by lightning), there is nothing
antagonistic between the two theories of its genesis, and a further
light is perhaps thrown upon the subject, tending to support its German
origin, by the fact that, in Pennsylvania, it has been familiar,
according to a correspondent of the New York Sun, for more than
half-a-century, its use and meaning being akin to the instances above
mentioned. It appears that in the central counties of the State in
question, the word was always used to include the idea of the ‘poser,’
and even of force, violence, spitefulness, or vindictiveness. If one
dealt another a hostile blow he ‘gave him a blizzard on the nose,’ ‘on
the jaw,’ ‘between the eyes,’ etc. If a magistrate lectured a litigant
severely he ‘gave him a blizzard.’ If in debate one dealt mercilessly
in ridicule he ‘gave his opponent a blizzard.’ If one man swore at or
cursed another he ‘gave him a blizzard.’ If a man’s wife scolded him
she ‘gave him a blizzard.’ When it is remembered that Pennsylvania is
the State in which the Dutch or German element most largely
predominates, it does not seem far fetched to attribute its origin to a
Teutonic source, more especially as there is nothing in the English
usage to preclude such a derivation. However this may be, the word
invariably seems to imply suddenness combined with violence; and, at
any rate, it apparently disposes of the supposition that the word is of
Western origin, or a coinage of so recent a date as is frequently
supposed. Like most words of its class, which have largely struck the
popular taste, it has been generally adopted in an idiomatic sense to
signify a stunning blow; an overwhelming argument, or a cool reception.
1834. Crockett, Tour Down East, 16. A gentleman at dinner asked me
for a toast; and supposing he meant to have some fun at my expense,
I concluded to go ahead, and give him and his likes a blizzard.
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 443. Blizzard, a term referred back
to the German Blitz, means in the West a stunning blow or an
overwhelming argument.
1884. G. A. S[ala], in Ill. L. News, Feb. 23, p. 171, col. 2.
Blizzard. The philologers in American Slang refer back to the
German blitz; and its original meaning in the Western States seems
to have been a stunning blow or an overwhelming argument. In the
Eastern States a sudden set-in of severe frost is called a ‘cold
snap.’ Query, how many ‘cold snaps’ does it take to make a
‘blizzard’?
1888. San Francisco News Letter. I should like to have seen the
Colonel’s face when he got that very cold, blizzardy letter. I bet
that if Minnie had been near him he would have slapped her real
hard.
Bloak.—See Bloke.
Bloat, subs. (American thieves’).—1. A drowned body.
2. A drunkard. The simile which groups the two is, perhaps, not far
wrong. [Probably from bloat, an adjective signifying puffed, swollen,
inflated. Bloat was also formerly in use in England as a contemptuous
name for a human being.]
Bloated Aristocrat, subs. (familiar).—An opprobrious epithet for a man
swollen with the pride of rank or wealth; also a general sobriquet
applied by ‘the masses’ to ‘the classes.’ ‘Bloated’ has long been
employed in a similar sense. Swift spoke of a certain statesman as ‘a
bloated minister’ [1731].
1861. Thackeray, Adventures of Philip, I., p. 101. What a bloated
aristocrat Thingamy has become since he got his place!
1863. G. A. Sala, Breakfast in Bed, essay I., p. 17 (1864). Of the
two most salient English gentlemen represented, one is a bloated
aristocrat of a Baronet hopelessly in debt, the other a rapid
brainless nobleman.
1869. M. Twain, Innocents Abroad, ch. x. We sat down finally, at a
late hour, in the great Casino, and called for unstinted champagne.
It is so easy to be bloated aristocrats where it costs nothing of
consequence!
Bloater.—See My Bloater; also Mild Bloater.
Blob, verb (vagrants’).—To talk; to ‘patter.’ [Probably a corrupted
form of blab.] Beggars are of two kinds—those who screeve (introducing
themselves with a fakement, or false document) and those who blob, or
state their case in their own truly ‘unvarnished’ language. [See,
however, second quot.]
1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 339. ‘Of
professional beggars there are two kinds—those who “do it on the
blob” (by word of mouth), and those who do it by “screeving,” that
is, by petitions and letters.’
1861. Whyte Melville, Good for Nothing, ch. xxvi. ‘Five minutes
more and we shall run into him,’ he shouts, sitting well back on
his horse, and urging him to his extreme pace, ‘when he blobs like
that he’s getting beat. See how Canvas sticks to him, and the
yellow dog hangs back waiting for the turn.’
Block, subs. (old).—A stupid person; a hard unsympathetic individual;
one of mean, unattractive appearance. [A figurative sense of block, as
of wood or stone.]
a. 1534. N. Udall, Roister Doister, III., iii., p. 44 (Arber). Ye
are such a calfe, such an asse, such a blocke.
1595. Shakspeare, Two Gentlemen, Act ii., Sc. 5. Speed. What an ass
art thou! I understand thee not. Launce. What a block art thou,
that thou canst not!
1599. Jonson, Every Man out of his Humour. Induct. Cor. Hang him,
dull block!
1624. Massinger, Bondman, II., ii. This will bring him on, Or he’s
a block.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Block (s) ... sometimes an
ignorant, stupid fellow.
1881. Besant and Rice, Chaplain of the Fleet, pt. II., ch. iv. She
said that her partner was delightful to dance with, partly because
he was a lord—and a title, she said, gives an air of grace to any
block—partly because he danced well and talked amiably.
2. The head. Possibly an abbreviated form of barber’s block (q.v.). For
synonyms, see Crumpet.
1637. Shirley, Lady of Pleas, II., i. Buy a beaver For thy own
block.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. xxxv. ‘I cleaned a groom’s boots
on Toosday, and he punched my block because I blacked the tops.’
Barber’s Block, subs. (common).—1. A transferred sense [from a wooden
head for showing off a wig] applied to a showy, over-dressed man; a
fop.
1876. E. Lynn Linton, Hallberger’s Illus. Mag., p. 72. No, not to
men worthy of the name of men—men, not barber’s blocks.