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 nyms. Cf., Blow oneself out.

1825. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, II., 264. 'She sent me a card for her blow-out,' said Mowbray, 'and so I am resolved to go.'

1847. Th. Hook, Man of Many Friends. The giving good feeds is, with many of these worthies, the grand criterion by which the virtues and talents of mankind are measured these persons call a similar favour either a 'spread' or a 'blow-out.'

1852. H. B. Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, ch. viii. 'Get us hot water, and sugar, and cigars, and plenty of the real stuff, and we'll have a blow-out.'

Verb (thieves').—To steal.

For synonyms, see Prig.

Blowse, Blowsy, Blouze, Blowzy, subs. (old).—1. A beggar's trull; a wench.

2. A slatternly woman, especially one with dishevelled hair. Thought to be of canting origin. In Grose's time the term was humorously varied by Blowsabella, in reference to the country girl in Gay's pastoral poem, 'The Shepherd's Week,' which depicts rural life in its character of poverty and rudeness, rather than as clothed in the colours of romance.

We, fair, fine ladies, who park out our lives From common sheep-paths, cannot help the crows, From flying over; we're as natural still As Blousalinda.

1557. Tusser, Husbandrie, ch. xvi., st. 37, p. 43 (E.D.S.). Whiles Gillet, his blouse, is a milking thy cow.

1605. Chapman, All Fooles, Act iv., p. 68 (Plays, 1874). Wed without my advice, my love, my knowledge, Ay, and a beggar, too, a trull, a blowse!

1638. Ford, Lady's Trial, III., i. Wench is your trull, your blouze, your dowdie.

1705. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, vol. II., pt. VII., p. 20. So the old Babylonian Blouze, And her demure fanatick Spouse.

1851. Thackeray, English Humorists, p. 167. Are not the Rosalindas of Britain as charming as the Blousalindas of the Hague?

Blow the Gab or Gaff, verbal phr. (common).—To reveal, or 'let out' a secret; to peach. Cf., Gaff, Gag and Gab. For synonyms, see Peach.

1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. To blow the gab (cant), to confess, or impeach a confederate.

1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, ch. xliii. 'One of the French officers, after he was taken prisoner, axed me how we had managed to get the gun up there; but I wasn't going to blow the gaff.'

1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ch. ii., p. 122. The prisoner, burning for revenge, quietly bides his time till the chief warder comes round, then asks to speak to him, and 'blows the gaff.'

Blow the Grampuse, verbal phr. (nautical).—To throw cold water on a man who has fallen asleep when on duty.

Blow the Groundsels, verbal phr. (old).—To have sexual commerce on the ground.

1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. To blow the groundsils (cant), to lie with a woman on the floor.

Blow Together, verbal phr. (tailors').—To make garments in a slovenly manner.

Blow Up, subs. (colloquial).—A scolding; a 'wigging'; a railing.

1809. Sir W Gell, in C. K. Sharpe's Correspondence (1883), I., 355. There won't be any quarrel, so you need not fear. The only chance is Keppel making a blow up when she abuses me.

1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. lxviii. Morgan had had 'a devil of a blow hup with his own guv'nor, and was going to retire from the business haltogether.'