Forms: 5–6 bogil(l, 7 bogell, 8– bogle; 7–9 north. Eng. boggle. [Of the various names bogle, boggard, bogy, applied to a goblin, bogle is the earliest known, being common in Scottish literature since 1500. In the present century its use by Burns, Scott, Hogg, and others has introduced it into English literature; but the special English form seems to be boggle (with short o as in BOGGARD), found in north. Eng. dialects from Cumberland to Lincolnshire. The derivation of the whole group is uncertain: the primitive may be bogge, BOG sb.2, and this may be a variant of bugge, BUG; which is not improbably a. Welsh bwg (= bug) ghost, bugbear, hobgoblin. The form of bogle, boggle, would still remain unexplained: it is perhaps worth while to compare Welsh bwgwl (= bu·gul) ‘terror, terrifying’ (whence bygylu bvgv·lü to terrify), and bygel (or bugail) nos a hobgoblin of the night: see BUG. But there are also German words of similar form and meaning, bögge and boggel-mann ‘a bogy, a bogle’: so that uncertainty attaches to the source. Cf. BOGGARD.]
1. A phantom causing fright; a goblin, bogy, or spectre of the night; an undefined creature of superstitious dread. (Usually supposed to be black, and to have something of human attributes, though spoken of as it.) Also, applied contemptuously to a human being who is ‘a fright to behold.’
c. 1505. Dunbar, Tua mariit Wem., 111. The luif blenkis of that bogill, fra his blerde ene.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 134. Like ane bogill all of ratland banis.
1646. R. Baillie, Anabapt. (1647), 44. The Devils are nothing but only boggles in the night, to terrifie men.
1752. Scots Mag. (1753), Sept., 451/1. There used to be bogles seen.
1790. Burns, Tam o’Shanter. Whiles glow’ring round wi’ prudent cares, Lest bogles catch him unawares.
1808. Cumbrian Ball., iii. 8. A boggle’s been seen wi’ twee heads.
1814. Scott, Wav., lxxi. I played at bogle about the bush wi’ them.
1822. Bewick, Mem., 20. I had not … got over a belief in ghosts and boggles.
1824. Byron, Juan, XI. lxxii. A sort of sentimental bogle, Which sits for ever upon memory’s crupper.
1832. Southey, Lett. (1856), IV. 281. Boggles and Barguests are the only supernatural beings we hear of in these parts [Keswick].
1864. Tennyson, North. Farmer, viii. Theer wur a boggle in it, I often ’eerd un mysen.
2. fig. and transf. a. A bugbear (not a phantom). b. A thing unsubstantial, a mere phantom.
1663. Lauderdale, in Papers (1884), I. cvi. 185. I have written so much that I doe feare my hand shall grow a bugbeare, or as we say heir a bogell.
1792. Burns, Despondency, iii. The sillie bogles, wealth and state, Can never make them eerie.
3. transf. A scarecrow. (In common use in north.)
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., VII. ix. (1849), 343. Bogles made of clouts.
1884. Gd. Words, May, 324/2. Potato bogles or scarecrows … vary in size … and dress, in nearly every parish.
Hence Bogle-bo [see BO.] = BOGLE; Bogledom, the realm or domain of bogles.
1603. Philotus, ii. Quhat reck to tak the Bogill-bo, My bonie burd for anis.
1678. Coles, Lat. Dict., Boggle-bo … an ugly wide-mouthed picture carried about with May games.
1730–6. Bailey, Boggle-boe, a bugbear to fright Children, a scare crow.
a. 1800[?]. Rhymes, in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, I. v. 148. The bogle bo’ of Billy Mire Wha kills our bairns a’.
1860. G. H. K., Vac. Tour, 171. Donald! Donald! keep out of the regions of bogledom.
