Also 6–7 blindman-buff(e, (-buffet, -bough, -bluff,) 7–9 blindman’s-buff. [f. BLIND-MAN + BUFF = buffet, blow, stroke.]
1. A game in which one player is blindfolded, and tries to catch and identify any one of the others, who, on their part, push him about, and make sport with him.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood, iv. 64. At hot-cockles, leape-frogge, or blindman-buffe.
1628. Gaule, Pract. The. (1629), 231. Others make him [Christ] no better then their Pastime, at no more discreet a Sport then Childs, or Fooles Blind-man-Buffet: Prophecie vnto us, who is he that smote thee?
1634. J. Taylor (Water P.), Gt. Eater Kent. Gregorie Dawson, an English-man, devised the unmatchable mystery of Blind-man-buffe.
1696. Month. Mercury, VII. 55. They oblig’d him to play with ’em at Blindman-Buff.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xi. Mr. Burchell … set the boys and girls to blindman’s buff.
1866. R. Chambers, Ess., Ser. I. 186. The whole parlour put into disorder by blind man’s buff.
2. fig.
1590. Three Lords Lond. Ile to my stall; Love, Lucre, Conscience, blindman buffe to you all.
1643. Bramhall, Serpent Salve, § 1. We desire to see what they have done, before we go to blindman’s buffet one with another.
1648. C. Walker, Hist. Indep., I. 55. Me thinks … we are compelled to play at blind-man-bough for our lives.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. VI. iii. 278. Government by Blind-man’s-buff.
