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.
