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 to fool with those Quakers any, and don't you forget it.

1888. Portland Transcript, May 9. 'Why do you object to your daughter marrying?' 'Wouldn't object ef she wuster marry the right sorter man.' 'Isn't Tom the right sort of man?' 'Not by a blamed sight.'

Blame it! intj. (common).—A round-about oath. Equivalent to 'Damn it!' [A transferred sense of blame.]

Blamenation! intj. (common).—Damnation!—See Oaths.

Blank, Blanked, Blankety, adj. (common).—Euphemistic oaths, the derivation of which is clearly an outcome of the practice of representing an oath, for decency's sake in printing, by a dash or blank space; e.g., dd. The terms are used in America in many combinations (see quots.). Cf., Oaths.

1857. C. Dickens, Farce for the Championship, in All the Year Round. Enter a closely shaven, bullet-headed fellow in an ecstasy of excitement at having just seen Cuss, and at the exquisite 'fitness' of that worthy. 'So help me blank, blank!' he cries delightedly, 'if he ain't a blank picter with the weins in his face down 'ere and 'ere, a showin' out just if a blank hartist 'ad painted him. Tell yer he's beautiful, fine as a blank greyhound, with a blank heavy air with him that looks blank like winnin'. Take yer two quid to one, guv'nor,' adds the speaker, suddenly picking out a stout purple-faced farmer in the group of eager listeners.

1873. C. Reade, Simpleton, xxiii. Blank him! that is just like him; the uneasy fool! [m.]

1878. Mrs. Edwardes, Jet iii., 272. 'the colonel of the regiment!' exclaims Mark. 'Blank the colonel of the regiment!' With slow, unmistakable gusto she lingers over the monosyllable 'blank.' [m.]

1879. Bret Harte, Gabriel Conroy, in Hallberger's Illustrated Magazine, vol. I., p. 378. Because you're religious, blank you, do you expect me to starve? Go and order supper first! Stop! Where in blank are you going? Here you've been and gone three hours on an errand for me, and blame me if you ain't runnin' off without a word about it.

1888. Troy Daily Times, Feb. 3. The captain looked anxious, and an irate fellow-passenger, who had not ceased swearing since we left Tuxpan, declared by all that is sacred and profane that he had known vessels to be hindered thirty days; yes, even three months, by that blankety blankety bar!

1888. Owosso (Mich.) Press, April. 'Doctor, I'm a dead man!' 'Not right now?' said I, as I kicked his dog out. 'Just as good as dead,' said he, 'or you wouldn't kick that dog in that way with safety. Not by a blankety blank blank sight.' 'Needn't waste so much profanity, Mr. Starkhill,' said I.

Blanket. Lawful blanket, subs. (old).—A wife. For synonyms, see Dutch.

Blanket Fair, subs. (popular).—Bed. Cf., Bedfordshire, Sheet Alley, and Land of Nod.

Blanket Hornpipe, subs. (common).—Sexual commerce. The allusion is obvious. Cf., Basket making.

Blarmed, ppl. adj. (common).—A euphemism for blessed (q.v.); 'damned'; 'blowed' (q.v.); or blamed (q.v.), of the last of which it is probably a corruption.—See Oaths.

1867. No Church, I., 104. To be in a blarmed hurry.

1872. John Forster, Life of Dickens, ch. xxxi. (III., p. 191). He saw a strange sensation among the angry travellers whom he had detained so long; heard a voice exclaim, 'I am blarmed if it ain't Dickens!' and stood in the centre of a group of Five Americans!

Blarm Me! intj. (common).—A euphemistic oath.—See Blarmed.