Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/123

 2. (colloquial).—Frothy talk; nonsense; a jumble of words.

1885. Murray, New English Dictionary, Art. Balderdash, vol. I., p. 633, col. 3. From the evidence at present, the inference is that the current sense was transferred from 1 or 2 [i.e., Froth, frothy liquid, or a jumbled mixture of liquids] either with the notion of 'frothy talk,' or of 'a senseless farrago,' or 'jumble of words.' Most etymologists have, however, assumed 3 [nonsense; frothy talk, etc.] to be the original sense, and sought its explanation in the obvious similarity of balder to dialectical balder, 'to use coarse language'; Dutch, balderen, 'to roar, thunder'; Norwegian, baldra; Icelandic, baldrast, ballrast, 'to make a clatter,' and of -dash to the verb dash in various senses. The Welsh baldorddus, adj., f. baldordd, 'idle, noisy talk, chatter,' has also been adduced Other conjectures may be found in Wedgwood, Skeat, and E. Müller.

Bald-Face, subs. (American).—New whiskey; so villainous is the compound, that only by courtesy can it be recognised as at all approaching the Simon Pure. For synonyms, see Drinks.

Bald-Faced Shirt, subs. (American).—In cowboy lingo, a white shirt; from the fact of being white on the face or front. Ordinarily bald-face is used of animals, e.g., a bald-faced stag. Hereford cattle, too, have white faces, and as cowboys are brought into close contact with all kinds of cattle, the term as applied to a linen shirt is possibly a mere transference in sense. Cf., Boiled shirt.

Bald-Faced Stag, subs. (common).—A bald-headed man; [from bald-faced, having white on face + stag, a slang term for a man. Cf., Stag party.] For synonyms, see Bladder of lard.

Baldheaded.—to go it baldheaded, phr. (American).—With eager impetuosity, or great haste; to do a thing with all one's might and main. A suggestion of action without stopping to cover one's head, i.e., on the spur of the moment.

1848-62. J. R. Lowell, Biglow Papers, p. 6.

It ain't by princerples nor men My preudunt course is steadied,— I scent which pays the best, an' then Go into it baldheaded.

1869. Our Young Folks. Whenever he had made up his mind to do a thing he went at it baldheaded. [de v.]

1888. Pall Mall Gazette, June 22. The Chicago Republicans, to use an Americanism, have gone baldheaded for protection. If shouting could win a Presidential contest, Blaine and Protection would be certain.

To snatch baldheaded, phr. (American).—To defeat a person in a street fight.

1871. R. Grant White, Words and Their Uses.

The crowd than gave a specimen of calumny broke loose, And said I'd snatched him baldheaded, and likewise cooked his goose.

Bald-Headed Row, subs. phr. (American).—The first row of stalls at theatres, especially those which make a feature of ballets. The term is a cynical allusion to the fact that these seats are generally occupied by men of mature age; the innuendo is obvious.—See Frog-salad.

Balditude, subs. (American).—A state of baldness. Probably a nonce word.

1882. S. L. Clemens ('Mark Twain'), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 187. Trouble has done it, Bilgewater, trouble has done it; trouble has brung these gray hairs and this premature balditude.