To fly the blue pigeon, verbal phr. (thieves').—To steal lead from the roofs of houses.—See Blue pigeon. French equivalents are faire la mastar au gras-double; ratisser dugras double.
1872. J. Doran, in Notes and Queries, 4 S., x., 308. Even at the present day, no rascal would stoop to strip lead from the roof of a house. At least, what honest men would call by that name, he would prettily designate as 'flying the blue pigeon.'
Blue Pill, subs. (popular).—A
bullet; also called blue plum
and blue whistler. For
synonyms, see Pill.
1861. N. Y. Tribune {Let. from Missouri), Nov. 10. Between blue pills, halters, and the penitentiary, we shall soon work off this element of rascaldom and horse-thieves.
Blue Plum, subs. (thieves').—A
bullet. Cf., Blue pill and
Blue whistler.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Surfeited with a blue plumb, wounded with a bullet; a sortment of George R's blue plumbs, a volley of ball, shot from soldier's firelocks.
1834. Harrison Ainsworth, Rookwood (1884), p. 95.
Believe me, there is not a game, my brave boys, To compare with the game of high toby; No rapture can equal the toby man's joys, To blue devils, blue plumbs give the go by.
Blue Ruin, subs. (common).—Gin,
generally of inferior quality.
For synonyms, see Drinks.
c. 1817. Keats, A Portrait. He sipped no olden Tom or ruin blue, or Nantz or cherry brandy.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib's Memorial to Congress, p. 39.
A few short words I first must spare, To him, the Hero, that sits there, Swigging Blue ruin, in that chair.
1821. W. T. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, Act iii., Sc. 3. Log. Here, Landlord, more Blue Ruin, my boy! Sal. Massa Bob, you find me no such bad partner; many de good vill and de power me get from de Jack Tar.
1847. Lytton, Lucretia, pt. II., ch. xx. 'The littel un . . . had been a-*brought up upon spoon-meat, with a dash o' blue-ruin to make him slim and ginteel.'
1859. Sala, Gaslight and Daylight, ch. xxiii. The stuff itself, which in the western gin-shops goes generally by the name of blue-ruin or 'short.'
Blues, subs. (popular).—1. Despondency;
hypochondria; depression
of spirits. [A shortened
form of blue devils (q.v.).]
A French synonym is se faire
des plumes or paumer ses plumes.
1807. Washington Irving, Salmagundi (1824), p. 96. In a fit of the blues. [m.]
1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. viii. The moat alone is enough to give one the blues.
1889. John Strange Winter, That Imp, p. 10. 'Miss Aurora,' he said suddenly, one evening after dinner, 'it's awfully dull at Drive now; does it never strike you so?' 'Very often, my dear,' answered Miss Aurora promptly. 'It's as dull as—' 'Ditch-water,' supplied Driver, finding she paused for a word which would express dulness enough. 'I wonder you and Betty don't die of the blues.'
2. The police.—See Blue, sense 1.
3. (military.)—The Royal Horse Guards Blue are popularly so known from the blue facings on the scarlet uniform. The corps first obtained the name of 'Oxford Blues' in 1690, to distinguish it from a Dutch regiment of Horse Guards dressed in blue, commanded by the Earl of Portland, the former being commanded by the Earl of Oxford. Subsequently the regiment was, during the campaign in Flanders [1742-45], known as the ' Blue Guards.'
Blue Skin, subs. (old).—1. Formerly
a contemptuous term for
