Page:Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant (1889) by Barrere & Leland.djvu/159

 to distinguish the native quarter.

Black wash (medical), a lotion consisting of calomel and limewater.

Black work (popular), undertaking.

Bladder of lard (popular), a bald-headed person. The French equivalent is "boule de vieux oing."

Blade (common). It is generally and plausibly assumed that this word for a man is derived from blade as a synonym for sword, and a soldier. And this seems to be borne out by the analogy of a similar French expression, une bonne lame, which formerly meant a man of the world, a dashing man. Blade is still used in the provinces for a brisk, mettlesome, sharp young man. But as it has the same pronunciation as the Dutch bloed, meaning "blood," and as a blood was the common term for "a fast, and high-mettled man" during the reigns of the Georges, it is not impossible it owes much to the latter. The word was also a personal noun in Dutch, as een arme bloed, a poor fellow. Bloed, a simpleton, is from a different root; bloode, timid, fearful; Irish blate, German blöde. Roysterers and debauchees were also termed "roaring boys."

Bladhunk (tinker), prison.

Blame (popular), a mild expletive used when one is dissatisfied or disappointed. Oftener heard in the provinces than in London, and much more so in America.

"Damnation!" is sometimes softened into "blamenation!"

Blan (gypsy), the wind.

Blank (hunting), to draw a blank in coursing or hunting is to have a run without meeting with anything. Quite recently the term blank has been adopted as a substitute for "damn," "bloody," and other forcible expressions.