Blind-house. A lock-up.
'1629. Item paied for makeing cleane the blind-house vijd.'—Records of Chippenham, p. 204.
Blind-man. Papaver Rhoeas, L., &c., the Red Poppy, which is locally supposed to cause blindness, if looked at too long.—S.W. (Hamptworth.)
*Blink. A spark, ray, or intermittent glimmer of light (A.B.). See Flunk.
*Blinking. This adjective is used, in a very contemptuous sense, by several Wilts agricultural writers.
'A short blinking heath is found on many parts [of the downs].'—Agric. of Wilts, ch. xii.
Compare:—
''Twas a little one-eyed blinking sort o' place.'—Tess of the D'Urbervilles, vol. i. p. 10.
*Blissey. A blaze (A.H.Wr.). A.S. blysige, a torch.
Blobbs, Water Blobs. Blossoms of Nuphar lutea, Sm., Yellow Water Lily (A.B.); probably from the swollen look of the buds. Cf. Blub up.
Blood-alley. A superior kind of alley or taw, veined with deep red, and much prized by boys (S.).—N. & S.W.
Bloody Warr The dark-blossomed Wallflower, Cheiranthus Cheiri, L. (A.B.S.).—N. & S.W.
Blooens. See Bluens.
Bloom. Of the sun; to shine scorchingly (B.); to throw out heat as a fire. 'How the sun do bloom out atween the clouds!'—N.W.
Blooming. Very sultry, as ''Tis a main blooming day.'—S.W. (Salisbury.)
Bloomy. Sultry. Bloomy-hot. Excessively sultry (A.B.).—S.W.
Blooth, Blowth. Bloom or blossom.—S.W.
Blossom. A snow-flake. 'What girt blossoms 'twer to the snow isterday!'—N. & S.W.
'Snow-flakes are called "blossoms." The word snow-flake is unknown.'—Village Miners.
Blow. Sheep and cattle 'blow' themselves, or get 'blowed,' from over-eating when turned out into very heavy grass or clover, the fermentation of which often kills them on the spot, their bodies becoming terribly inflated with wind. See the description of the 'blasted' flock, in Far from the Madding Crowd, ch. xxi.—N. & S.W.
Blowing. A blossom (A.B.H.Wr.). See Bluen.—N.W.
Blowth. See Blooth.
Blub up. To puff or swell up. A man out of health and puffy about the face is said to look 'ter'ble blubbed up.' Cf. Blobbs.—N.W. Compare:—
'My face was blown and blub'd with dropsy wan.'—Mirror for Magistrates.
Blue Bottle. Scilla nutans, Sm., Wild Hyacinth.—S.W.
Blue Buttons. (1) Scabiosa arvensis, L., Field Scabious.—S.W. (2) S. Columbaria, L., Small Scabious.—S.W.
Blue Cat. One who is suspected of being an incendiary. 'He has the name of a blue cat.' See Lewis's Cat.—S.W. (Salisbury.)
Blue Eyes. Veronica Chamaedrys, L., Germander Speedwell.—N.W.
Blue Goggles. Scilla nutans, Sm., Wild Hyacinth. Cf. Greygles or Greggles.—S.W.
Bluen or Blooens. pl. Blossoms (S.). Also used in Devon.—N. & S.W.
Blue-vinnied. Covered with blue mould. See Vinney. Commoner in Dorset as applied to cheese, &c.—N. & S.W.
Blunt. 'A cold blunt,' a spell of cold weather. See Snow-blunt. Compare Blunk, a fit of stormy weather, which is used in the East of England.—N.W.
Blur. See Blare. In Raleigh's account of the fight in Cadiz Bay, he says that as he passed through the cross-fire of the galleys and forts, he replied 'with a blur of the trumpet to each piece, disdaining to shoot.'
Board. To scold, to upbraid. 'Her boarded I just about.'—S.W. (occasionally.)
Boar Stag. A boar which, after having been employed for breeding purposes for a time, is castrated and set aside for fattening (D.). Cf. Bull Stag.—N.W.
Boat. Children cut apples and oranges into segments, which they sometimes call 'pigs' or 'boats.'
Bob. In a timber carriage, the hind pair of wheels with the long pole or lever attached thereto.—N.W. In Canada 'bob-sleds' are used for drawing logs out of the woods.
*Bobbant. Of a girl, romping, forward (A.B.H.Wr.).—N.W.
Bobbish. In good health (A.B.S.). 'Well, an' how be 'ee to-day?' 'Purty bobbish, thank 'ee.'—N. & S.W.
Bob-grass. Bromus mollis, L.—S.W.
*Bochant. The same as Bobbant (A.B.G.H.Wr.).
Bod. See Bad.
Boistins. The first milk given by a cow after calving (A.). See N.E.D. (s.v. Beestings).—N.W.
Bolt. In basket-making, a bundle of osiers 40 inches round. (Amateur Poacher, ch. iv. p. 69).
Boltin, Boulting. A sheaf of five or ten 'elms,' prepared beforehand for thatching. 'Elms' are usually made up on the spot, but are occasionally thus prepared at threshing-time, and tied up and laid aside till required, when they need only be damped, and are then ready for use. Cf. Bolt.—N.W.
Bombarrel Tit. Parus caudatus, the Long-tailed Titmouse (Great Estate, ch. ii. p. 26). Jefferies considers this a corruption of 'Nonpareil.'—N.W.
Book of Clothes. See Buck (Monthly Mag., 1814).
Boon Days. Certain days during winter on which farmers on the Savernake estate were formerly bound to haul timber for their landlord.
*Boreshore. A hurdle-stake (S.).—S.W.
'This is a kind of hurdle stake which can be used in soft ground without an iron pitching bar being required to bore the hole first for it. Hence it is called bore-shore by shepherds.'—Letter from Mr. Slow.
*Borky. (Baulky?) Slightly intoxicated.—S.W.
*Borsy. See *Bawsy.
Bossell. Chrysanthemum segetum, L., Corn Marigold (D.). Bozzell (Flowering Plants of Wilts).—N. & S.W.
Bossy, Bossy-calf. A young calf, whether male or female.—N.W.
Bottle. The wooden keg, holding a gallon or two, used for beer in harvest-time (Wild Life, ch. vii).—N. & S.W.
Bottle-tit. Parus caudatus, L., the Long-tailed Titmouse.—N.W.
Bottom. A valley or hollow in the downs.—N. & S.W.
Boulting. See Boltin.
Bounceful. Masterful, domineering. See Pounceful.—N.W.
Bourne. (1) n. A valley between the chalk hills; a river in such a valley; also river and valley jointly (D.).—N. & S.W.
'In South Wilts they say, such or such a bourn: meaning a valley by such a river.'—Aubrey's Nat. Hist. Wilts, p. 28. Ed. Brit.
(2)