blue colour. Like blue bluebottle, etc., its application to a policeman is of some antiquity. Cf., Blue, sense 1, and Beak, sense 1.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 19 (H. Club's Repr., 1874). And being so taken, haue beene carried to places of correction, there wofully tormented by blew-coates, cowardly fellowes, that . . . haue so scourged vs, that flesh and blood could hardly endure it.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. II., p. 417. 'I thinks them Chartists are a weak-minded set . . . a hundred o' them would run away from one blue-coat.'
Blued or Blewed, ppl. adj. (common).—Tipsy;
drunk. For
synonyms, see Screwed.
Blue Dahlia, subs. (common).—A
colloquialism for something
rare or seldom seen; a rara avis.
Blue Devils, subs. (popular).—1.
Dejection; lowness of spirits;
hypochondria.
1786. Cowper, Letters, No. 219, vol. II., p. 143 (ed. 1834). I have not that which commonly is a symptom of such a case belonging to me,—I mean extraordinary elevation in the absence of Mr. Blue devil. When I am in the best health, my tide of animal sprightliness flows with great equality.
1790. W. B. Rhodes, Bombastes Furioso, Sc. 1. Or, dropping poisons in the cup of joy, Do the blue devils your repose annoy?
1871. Planché, King Christmas. There are blue devils which defy blue pills.
1880.- G. R. Sims, Three Brass Balls, pledge iii. He got discontented and had fits of blue devils.
Two French equivalents for feeling out of sorts are s'emboucaner, and s'éncoliflucheter.
2. (popular.)—Delirium tremens. From the apparitions drunkards often suppose they see. In both this and the foregoing sense blue devils is contracted into blues.
1818-9. Cobbett. Resid. U.S., 42. It was just the weather to give drunkards the blue devils.
1831. Scott, Demonology, i., 18. They, by a continued series of intoxication, became subject to what is popularly called the blue devils.
Hence such derivatives as blue devilage; blue devilry; blue devilism; and an adjectival form blue devilly.
1871. Lockhart, Fair to See, I., p. 208. On the lower hills the pine-trees loomed through stagnant mists with a dejected and blue-devilly aspect.
Blue Fear, subs. (popular).—Extreme
fright. [From the 'blue'
or pallid cast of countenance
which fear is supposed to
induce. The same as blue
funk (q.v.), which is more
general.]
1883. R. L. Stevenson, The Treasure of Franchard, in Longman's Mag., April, p. 683. Anastasie had saved the remainder of his fortune by keeping him strictly in the country. The very name of Paris put her in a blue fear.
Blue Flag, subs. (common).—A
blue apron (q.v.). Worn by
butchers, publicans, and other
tradesmen.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. He has hoisted the blue flag, he has commenced publican, or taken a public house, alluding to the blue aprons worn by publicans.
Blue Funk, subs. (popular).—Extreme
fright, nervousness, or
dread. [Funk is 'to stink
through fear'; Wedgwood connects
it with the Walloon funker,
'to smoke.']
1856. Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School-days, p. 196. If I was going to be flogged next minute, I should be in a blue funk.
1861. Macmillan's Magazine, p. 211. I was in a real blue funk.
