Cf., Blue, sense 1, and see Beak for synonyms.
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Henry IV., v., 4. Dall [addressing beadle] . . . you blue-bottle rogue, you filthy famished correctioner.
1852. F. E. Smedley, Lewis Arundel, ch. lxiv. 'Police, indeed!' muttered Charley, 'the General can't remember that he is out of London . . . These confounded sulky Austrian officials are rather different customers to deal with from our blue-bottles.—Messrs. A1 and Co.
1864. Sala, in Daily Telegraph, Sept. 13. Caught in his own toils by the blue-bottles of Scotland Yard, [m.]
1864. Blackwood's Mag., p. 15. He who could summon to his aid every alphabetical blue-bottle that ever handled a truncheon.
1888. Middleton, Michaelmas Term. And to be free from the interruption of blue beadles, and other bawdy officers.
2. A serving-man, blue having been the usual habit of servants. Cf., Blue-coat.
1602. Honest Whore, O. Pl., iii., 389. You proud varlets, you need not be ashamed to wear blue, when your master is one of your fellows.
1608. Dekker, Belman, sign E., 3. The others act their parts in blew coates, as (if) they were their serving-men.
Hence blue-bottle is sometimes a term of reproach for a servant. {Case Altered, i., 2. O. Pl., v., 6.] And a serving-man, in B. Jonson, says, 'Ever since I was of the blue order.'
About 1608, when Middleton's Comedy of A Trick to catch the Old One was produced, the blue-coats of servants appear to have been changed for cloaks, such as were worn by the upper classes also at that time. Thus, in that comedy [Act ii., Anc. Drama, v., p. 151]:—There's more true honesty in such a country serving man, than in a hundred of our cloak companions. I may well call 'em companions, for since blue coats have been turned into cloaks, one can scarce know the man from the master. B. Jonson [Mask of Christmas] introduces New Yeares Gift, In a blew coat, serving-man like, with an orange, etc.
1845. G. P. R. James, Arrah Neil, p. 325. The personage to whom he addressed himself, was one of the serving-men of that day, known by the general term of blue-bottles.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. x. (I., p. 173). I fancy you would love to move to court like him, followed by a round score of old blue-bottles. Ibid, ch. xi. My lord, my father . . . has blue-bottles enough to wait on him.
Blue Boy, subs. (common).—A
bubo; a tumour or abscess with
inflammation. Specially applied
to that kind which is a result of
venereal disease.
Blue-Boys, subs. (popular).—The
police. The expression is generally
used in the plural. Cf.,
Blue, sense 1, and Beak, sense 1.
1880. Jas. Greenwood, Help Myself Society, in Odd People in Odd Places, p. 68. The 'Help Yourselves' are especially strong in instrumental music. They have a friend in Colonel Fraser, the head of the City police, and the excellent band of that branch of the force is at their service, and Sir E. Henderson shows himself to be at heart a 'Help Yourself,' by permitting the instrumental blue boys belonging to several metropolitan divisions to spend a Saturday night there. Besides these, they have the Polytechnic orchestral band when it is required, and an excellent grand piano with a skilled player and accompanyist.
Blue Butter, subs. (common).—Mercurial
ointment, used for
the destruction of parasites.
Blue-Coat, subs.—A constable; a
guardian of public order. This,
like many of its congeners, has
been applied to serving-men,
beadles, tailors, and others
wearing a uniform of a dark
