subs. (old).—1. A fop, dandy, buck, or ‘fast’ man: originally in common use, but now obsolete: from that legitimate sense of the word which attributes the seat of the passions and emotions to the blood—hence a man of spirit; one who has blood worth mention, and, in an inferior sense, he who makes himself notorious, whether by dress or rowdyism: in the last century, especially during the regency of George IV., the term was largely in vogue to denote a young man of good birth and social standing about town; subsequently, it came to mean a riotous, disorderly fellow.
1519. The Four Elements [DODSLEY, Old Plays (HAZLITT), i., 43].
| I shall bring hither another sort | |
| Of lusty BLOODS to make disport. |
1562. BULLEYN, Sicke Men, etc., 73a. A lustie BLOOD, or a pleasaunte brave young roister.
1606. JOHN DAY, The Ile of Guls i., 9. Basil. Welcome gallants, welcome honord BLOODS. Ibid. To which effect we have sent a generall challenge to all the youthfull BLOODS of Africa.
1752. The Adventurer, No. 15. Our heroes of liberty, whether Bucks or BLOODS, or of whatever other denomination, when by some creditor of slavish principles they have been locked up in a prison, never yet petitioned to be hanged. Ibid. (1753), No. 98. I am, in short, one of those heroic Adventurers, who have thought proper to distinguish themselves by the titles of Buck, BLOOD, and Nerve.
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, xvi. [It is stated that the senior boys at Winchester ‘were distinguished by the appellation of BLOODS.’ The term is now unknown in the school, even by tradition].
1839. W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard [1889], 21. ‘Trenchard!’ he muttered—‘Aliva Trenchard. They were right, then, as to the name. Well, if she survives the accident—as the BLOOD who styles himself Sir Cecil fancies she may do—this ring will make my fortune by leading to the discovery of the chief parties concerned in this strange affair.’
1846. THACKERAY, Vanity Fair, x. A perfect and celebrated BLOOD or dandy about town, was this young officer.
1853. THACKERAY, Barry Lyndon, ii., 36. The modern BLOODS have given up the respectful ceremonies which distinguished a gentleman in my time.
2. (old).—Money: generic, see RHINO.
1748. DODSLEY, Collection of Poems, III., 199.
| He sticks to gaming, as the surer trade; | |
| Turns downright sharper, lives by sucking BLOOD. |
1872. M. E. BRADDON, Dead-Sea Fruit, iv. ‘A man who ought to consider himself uncommonly fortunate never to have known what it was to be hard up, or to have a pack of extravagant sons sucking his BLOOD, like so many modern vampires.’
Verb (colloquial).—To deplete of money; to victimise; TO BLEED (q.v.).
1884. HAWLEY SMART, From Post to Finish, 187. ‘He is very likely to want a thousand pounds at any moment. There’s a leaven of the old squire in his composition, and I recollect hearing that he was BLOODED over the Phaeton Leger.’ ‘You surely can’t mean that he has taken to racing? Why, you must be aware that he has no money for anything of that sort.’
