An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language
Chapter 87 : _Chron. S. Poet._ BLIND HARIE, Blind man's buff, S. _Belly-blind_, synon._Herd._ I

_Chron. S. Poet._

BLIND HARIE, Blind man's buff, S. _Belly-blind_, synon.

_Herd._

In the Scandinavian _Julbock_, from which this sport seems to have originated, the princ.i.p.al actor was disguised in the skin of a _buck_ or _goat_. The name _Blind Harie_ might therefore arise from his rough attire; as he was called _blind_, in consequence of being blindfolded.

Or it may signify, _Blind Master_, or _Lord_, in ironical language.

V. ~Herie~.

BLIND MAN'S BALL, or _Devil's snuff-box_, Common puff-ball, S. V. Flor.

Suec.

_Lightfoot._

It is also called _Blind man's een_, i. e. eyes, S. B. An idea, according to Linn., prevails throughout the whole of Sweden, that the dust of this plant causes _blindness_.

BLYNDIT, _pret._ Blended.

_Gawan and Gol._

BLINDLINS, BLYNDLINGIS, _adv._ Having the eyes closed, hoodwinked. It denotes the state of one who does any thing as if he were blind, S.

V. ~Lingis~ Germ. Dan. _blindlings_, id.

_Douglas._

BLINDS, _s. pl._ The Pogge, or Miller's Thumb, a fish, _Cottus Cataphractus_, Linn. West of S.

_Statist. Acc._

Perhaps it receives this name, because its eyes are very small.

To BLINK, _v. n._

1. To become a little sour; a term used with respect to milk or beer, S.

_Bleeze_, synon.

_Chr. Kirk._

2. To be _blinkit_, to be half drunk, Fife.

Su. G. _blaenk-a_, Germ. _blink-en_, coruscare, to s.h.i.+ne, to flash, to lighten; q. struck with lightning, which, we know, has the effect of making liquids sour; or as denoting that of suns.h.i.+ne, or of the heat of the weather.

BLINNYNG, _part. pr._ Leg. _Blumyng_.

_Maitland Poems._

BLYPE, _s._ A coat, a shred; applied to the skin, which is said to come off _in blypes_, when it _peels_ in coats, or is rubbed off, in shreds; S.

_Burns._

Perhaps radically the same with _Flype_, q. v. or a different p.r.o.n.

of _Bleib_.

_To_ BLIRT, _v. n._ To make a noise in weeping, to cry. It is generally joined with _Greet_. To _blirt and greet_, i. e. to burst out a-crying, S.

_Kelly._

Germ. _blaerr-en_, _plarr-en_, mugire, rugire. Perhaps E. _blurt_ is also radically allied.

BLIRT, _s._ The action expressed by the v. "A _blirt_ of greeting," a violent burst of tears, accompanied with crying, S. B.

To BLITHE, BLYTHE, _v. a._ To make glad.

_Wallace._

A. S. _bliths-ian_, laetari; Alem. _blid-en_, gaudere. But perhaps our v. is immediately formed from the adj.

BLITHEMEAT, _s._ The meat distributed among those who are present at the birth of a child, or among the rest of the family, S. p.r.o.nounced _blyidmeat_, Ang. as the adj. itself, _blyd_, _blyid_.

I need not say, that this word has its origin from the _happiness_ occasioned by a safe delivery.

BLYVARE. Perhaps for _Blyther_, more cheerful.

_Houlate._

BLYWEST, _adj._ in the superl.

_Houlate._

"Blythest, most merry," Gl. Perhaps it rather refers to colour; q.

the palest.