Blow, subs, (common).—1. A shilling.
Amongst Synonyms for this coin are beong; borde; button; deaner or deener; bob; bob-*stick (old slang); breaky-leg; gen (this forms part of the so-called back slang); hog; levy; peg; stag; teviss; twelver; touch-me (this is an abbreviated form of touch-me-on-the-nob, rhyming slang for bob or shilling); Abraham's willing (also rhyming slang for a shilling).
1879. J. W. Horsley, in Macm. Mag., XL., 501. But afterwards I got 3s. 9d., and then four blow. Ibid. I went to the Steel (Bastile—Coldbath Fields Prison), having a new suit of clobber on me and about fifty blow in my brigh (pocket).
1885. Daily Telegraph, Feb. 5, p. 2, col. 6. They said they could sell some for five blows (shillings), and that he could easily make £158 of the stuff.
2. (Old University.)—A drunken frolic; a spree. Cf., Blow-out, subs. For synonyms, see Jamboree.
Verb.—1. To boast; to brag; to 'gas'—generally to talk boastfully or self-assertingly of oneself or one's affairs. In this sense to blow, long dialectically current, is now regarded as slang. It is also associated with the idea of angry speech, 'storming,' 'fuming.' Cf., Blow up, and for synonyms, see Gas.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 97. Blouing veynly wip fleschli wit. [m.]
1519. Four Elements, in Hazl. Dodsley, I., 41. Why, man, what aileth thee so to blow? [m.]
1785. Burns, Epistle to J. Lapraik, st. 16. I winna blaw about mysel; As ill I like my fauts to tell.
1883. Graphic, Jan. 27, p. 79, col. i-The whole team has taught Australia not to blow (as they say)—a not unneeded lesson.
1883. Mrs. Campbell Praed, Sketches of Australian Life, p. 45. 'He was famous for his coolness and daring, and for blowing, in Australian parlance, both of his exploits and of his "bonnes fortunes."'
2. (general.)—To inform; to expose; to betray; to peach. Cf., also Blow upon and Blow the gab. [This is a transferred sense of blow = to breathe out; to give forth by breathing; hence, to sound a signal on an instrument; to blaze abroad as by a trumpet.] For synonyms, see Peach.
1575. Appius and Virg., in Hazl. Dodsley, IV., 136. Was all well agreed? did nobody blow ye? [m.]
1721. Defoe, History of Colonel Jack. 'As for that,' says Will, 'I could tell it well enough, if I had it, but I must not be seen anywhere among my old acquaintances, for I am blown, and they will all betray me.'
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Blow (v.) . . . also to discover the secrets of another; also when a person undervalues or slights a person or thing, he is said to blow upon it.
a. 1859. L. Hunt, Country Lodgings, in Casquet Lit. (1877), I., p. 42, col. 1. D—n me, if I don't blow . . . I'll tell Tom Neville, [m.]
3. (American.)—To lie; and in a slightly less opprobrious sense to 'gas' so much as to be perilously near the border-line which separates boasting exaggeration from absolute untruth.
4. (general.)—Frequently employed euphemistically for 'to damn'—generally in the imperative.—Blow it! i.e., 'hang it'! or damn it! Cf., Blowed, with which it is closely allied in all senses.
1849. C. Kingsley, Alton Locke, ch. ii. 'Well, if you won't stand a pot,' quoth the tall man, 'I will, that's all, and blow temperance.'
