Bowler.—See Boler.
Bowles, subs. (common).—Shoes. For synonyms, see Trotter-*cases.
Bowl Out, verb (popular).—To overcome; to get the better of; to defeat. [Formerly a cricketing term—to bowl a man out by displacing the bails.] Cf., Bowl over. Among thieves it signifies, in a transitive form, to be arrested or 'lagged.'
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dictionary. Bowled out, when he [a thief] is ultimately taken, tried, and convicted [he] is said to be bowled out at last.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. iii. The polite and accomplished adventurer, who nicked you out of your money at White's, or bowled you out of it at Marybone.
1852. F. E. Smedley, Lewis Arundel, ch. xxiv. 'He's handsomer than you are; if you don't mind your play, he'll BOWL YOU OUT.'
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ch. ii., p. 121. Now and again a warder does get bowled out, and comes to grief. At the very least he loses his situation.
Bowl Over, verb (popular).—To defeat; to worst. Cf., Bowl out.
1862. Cornhill Mag., p. 729. You have bowled me over, and I know I can't get up again.
1878. Stanley, Through the Dark Continent, II., p. 291. I sent in a zinc bullet close to the ear, which bowled it [the rhinoceros] over, dead.
1880. A. Trollope, The Duke's Children, ch. xlvii. He confessed to himself that he was completely bowled over,—'knocked off his pins!'
Bowl the Hoop, subs. (rhyming slang).—Soup.
Bowman, adv. (old).—See quotation.
1839. Harrison Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], p. 11. Help! ejaculated Wood, renewing his cries. Arrest! Jigger closed! shouted a hoarse voice in reply. All's bowman, my covey. Fear nothing. We'll be upon the ban-dogs before they can shake their trotters!
Bowse.—See Booze.
Bowsing Ken.—See Bousing ken.
Bowsprit, subs. (popular).—The nose.—See Boltsprit.
TO HAVE ONE'S BOWSPRIT IN parenthesis is to have it pulled. 'To have one's head in Coventry' will occur to mind as another English slang phrase very similar in character.
Bow-Window, subs. (common).—A stomach of large proportions. [A bay or bow-window is properly a curved window, hence the transference of the term to a big belly.] Also bow-windowed, i.e., big-bellied.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, ch. i. He was a very large man . . . with what is termed a considerable bow-window in front.
1849-50. Thackeray, Pendennis, xxxiv. (1884), 334. Look at that very BOW-WINDOWED MAN. [M.]
1889. Daily Telegraph, May 6. She was what is vulgarly called bow-windowed.
Bow-Wow, subs. (common).—1. A childish name for a dog.
1800. Cowper, Beau's Reply. Let my obedience then excuse My disobedience now, Nor some reproof yourself refuse From your aggrieved bow-wow.
18(?82). Broadside Ballad, 'I haven't for a long time now.' I used to have a sweetheart, once, A precious little pearl! Indeed she was—she really was, A very charming girl.
