Bubber, subs. (old).—1. A hard drinker; a confirmed tippler. [From bub (q.v.) = drink + er.] A synonymous French term is un bibassier, but for analogous terms generally, see Elbow crooker.
1653. Middleton, Sp. Gipsy, ii., 1. Though I am no mark in respect of a huge butt, yet I can tell you great bubbers have shot at me. [There is a play in the word 'butt.']
1674. R. Head, Canting Acad., 191. A bubber . . . goes to the Alehouse, and steals there the Plate.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Bubber, . . . a great drinker. A thief that steals plate from publick houses.
2. (old.)—A drinking bowl. Cf., derivation of previous sense.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Bubber, a drinking Bowl; also a great Drinker, and he that used to steal Plate from Publick-houses.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Bubber, a drinking bowl, etc.
3. (old.)—A public house thief.—See quotation 1690, sense 2; also mentioned by Grose [1785].
4. (American.)—A nickname for an old woman with large pendulous breasts. Rarely heard.
1848. Bartlett, Americanisms. Bubber. A stout or stoutly mammalated old woman. Used in Salem, Mass., in 1820, and since. 'Bubber Jones.' (Fr. poitron, old woman; Old Fr. pect. poitron; Lat. pectus, the breast.)
Bubbies, subs. (common).—A woman's breasts. An old term of which the derivation is somewhat doubtful, though it may be noted that the ancient cant has bub in the sense of 'to drink,' and also as an abbreviated form of bubby. Arber says that 'bu bu' is the cry of a child needing its mother's milk.—For synonyms, see Dairies.
1686. D'Urfey, New Poems (1690), 206.
The Ladies here may without Scandal shew, Face or white bubbies, to each ogling Beau.
1693. Congreve, Old Batchelor, Act v., Sc. 7. Did not her eyes twinkle, and her mouth water? Did not she pull up her little bubbies?
1712. Arbuthnot, Hist. of John Bull, pt. III., ch. viii. 'To see a handsome, brisk, genteel, young fellow so much governed by a doating old woman! Why don't you go and suck the bubby?'
1715. Vanbrugh, Country House, II., v. He talked to me of you, and said you had the charmingest bubbies.
1748. Dodsley, Collection of Poems, III., 191. And snowy bubbies pull'd above the stays.
1754. B. Martin, Eng. Dict., 2 ed. Bubbys, a woman's breasts.
Bubbing, subs. (old).—Drinking; tippling.
1678. Poor Robin's Char. of Scold, 6. She clamours at him so long . . . which makes him seek Bubbing-schools to hide himself in from her fury. [m.]
Bubble, subs. (old).—A dupe; gull; also caravan (q.v.); and rook (q.v.). Grose thinks from the party cheated being like an air-bubble filled with words which are only wind instead of real property. Also apparently used of anything not genuine. Applied to persons, it is older than appears from Murray.
1598. Shakspeare, All's Well, iii., vi., 5. Sec. Lord. On my life, my lord, a bubble. Ber. Do you think I am so far deceived in him?
1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, III., in wks. (1720) IV., 62. This kinsman a most silly bubble first, and afterwards a betrayer of young heirs.
1697. Vanbrugh, Provoked Wife, V., iii. If her conduct has put a trick upon her virtue, her virtue's the bubble, but her husband's the loser.
