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 Boshy, adj. (common).—Trumpery; nonsensical.—See Bosh.

1882. F. Anstey, Vice Versâ, ch. iv. 'There was no dancing, only boshy games and a conjuror.'

Bos-Ken, subs. (vagrants').—A farmhouse. An old canting term. [From L. bos = ox + ken, a house.] Cf., Ken.

1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 472. 'Up at a bosken (farm-house) they'll get among the servant girls.'

Boskiness, subs. (popular).—The quality of being fuddled with drink; bemused; a state of drunkenness.

1887. Judy, 31 August, p. 101. The Town Councillor had a squabble with his parent and accused him of boskiness.

Bosky, adj. (popular).—Drunk; tipsy; fuddled. [Derivation uncertain; bosky = 'wooded,' or 'bushy,' and there may be an allusion to the obscurity and overshadowing, peculiar to a wooded country. Bailey [1728] has also bosky = swelled, but does not give the slang sense of the word, although it appears in the editions 1730-6. It may, therefore, be a figuratively humorous reading of 'swelled,' i.e., 'tight.'] For synonyms, see Screwed.

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Bosky (a.), fuddled, half or quite drunk.

1824. Blackw. Mag., XVI., 573. He may be tipsy, bosky, cut, or anything but drunk.

1886. Punch, 17 April, p. 185. I got a bit bosky last night. Has the 'eadache got into my rhymes?

Bosman, subs. (vagrants').—A farmer. [From the Dutch bosch-man, one who lives in the woods; otherwise Boschje-*man, or bushman.] Cf., Bosken.

1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 471. 'I've seen the swell bosmen (farmers) buy the pills to give the people standing about.'

Boss, subs. (American and English).—1. A master; a head man; one who directs. [From the Dutch baas, a master.] Few words have acquired a greater hold on American life than this term, and the primitive meaning of master, overseer, or superior of any kind, though in a large measure retained to this day, has been widened out in every direction. The political boss is the leader whose word is law to his henchman. Boss Tweed, of New York, is believed to have been the first to bear the title in a semi-official way. The phrase boss rule is said to have been invented by Mr. Wayne MacVeagh, and employed by him in political speeches in Chicago. It is now in common use in this sense. In the two first quotations the word appears to be used much as in the modern sense. For synonyms, see Governor.

1590. Marlowe, Tamburlaine, pt. I., Act iii., Sc. 3. Zab. Base concubine, must thou be placed by me, That am the empress of the mighty Turk? Zen. Disdainful Turkess and unreverend boss!

1679. M. Philipse, Early Voyage to New Netherlands (quoted by De Vere). Here they had their first interview with the female boss or supercargo of the vessel.

1848. Bartlett, Americanisms. I have never known a second wife but what was boss of the situation.

1850. New York Herald, May 24. The Eternal City is in a very curious position. The Pope has returned to his ancestral home; but he has nothing in his pocket, and Rothschild refuses to let him have any more money. A thousand years ago, and the boot would have been on t'other leg. To-day it is very