CH. XIII.]
VOCABULARY AND INDEX.
217
answer,' says Jerry Cruncher in 'A Tale of Two Cities.' There's a touch of slang in some of these: yet the word has been in a way made classical by Lord Morley's expression that Lord Salisbury never made a speech without uttering 'some blazing indiscretion.'
Blind Billy. In coming to an agreement take care you don't make 'Blind Billy's Bargain,' by either overreaching yourself or allowing the other party to overreach you. Blind Billy was the hangman in Limerick, and on one particular occasion he flatly refused to do his work unless he got £50 down on the nail: so the high sheriff had to agree and the hangman put the money in his pocket. When all was over the sheriff refused point-blank to send the usual escort without a fee of £50 down. So Blind Billy had to hand over the £50—for if he went without an escort he would be torn in pieces—and had nothing in the end for his job.
Blind lane; a lane stopped up at one end.
Blind window; an old window stopped up, but still plain to be seen.
Blink; to exercise an evil influence by a glance of the 'evil eye'; to 'overlook'; hence 'blinked,' blighted by the eye. When the butter does not come in churning, the milk has been blinked by some one.
Blirt; to weep: as a noun, a rainy wind. (Ulster.)
Blob (blab often in Ulster), a raised blister: a drop of honey, or of anything liquid.
Blue look-out; a bad look-out, bad prospect.
Boal or bole; a shelved recess in a room. (North.)
Boarhaun; dried cowdung used for fuel like turf. Irish boithreán [boarhaun], from bo, a cow.
