subs. (common).—Commercial activity; rapid advance in prices; a flourishing state of affairs—in all its applications it is synonymous with extreme vigour and effectiveness. [A comparatively recent production. Within a few years, it has made its appearance in a variety of combinations: e.g., ‘the whole State is BOOMING for Smith’; ‘the boys have whooped up the State to BOOM for Smith’; ‘the Smith BOOM is ahead in this State,’ etc., etc. Stocks and money are BOOMING when active; and any particular spot within a flourishing district is regarded as within the BOOM-BELT. A successful team or party is said to be a BOOMING SQUAD, and BOOMLETS express progress of a lesser degree. MURRAY:—The most probable derivation is from the nautical phrase ‘boom-out,’ signifying a vessel running rapidly before the wind; but as, however, various associations are probable, and as the actual use of the word has not been regulated by any distinct etymological feeling, it is not likely that any derivation will account for all its applications.] As verb = to make rapid and vigorous progress; to advance by leaps and bounds; to push; to puff; to bring into prominence with a rush.
1874. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), The Gilded Age, xxvii. There’s 200,000 dollars coming, and that will set things BOOMING again.
1875. S. WILLIAMS, The City of the Golden Gate, in Scribner’s Monthly, x. July, 272. Stocks may ‘BOOM’ to-day, but droop to-morrow, and with the crash come remorse and repentance. Ibid., 277. When stocks are active they are said to be ‘BOOMING.’
1883. Referee, 6 May, 3, 2. ‘The Merry Duchess’ is a big BOOM, and I understand that money is being turned away nightly.
1883. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Life on the Mississippi, lvii., 499. I lived here in 1857—an extraordinary year there in real-estate matters. The BOOM was something wonderful. Everybody bought, everybody sold … anything in the semblance of a town lot, no matter how situated, was saleable. Ibid. (1884), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, xiii. We BOOMED along down the river, watching for lights and watching for our raft.
1888. Chicago Daily Inter Ocean. The city of Paris is said to be diminishing instead of increasing in population. They don’t know how to BOOM a town over there.
1888. New Orleans Picayune. A BOOM in North Carolina is not the kind of phenomenon to which we are accustomed here. Sales of land at from 2 dols. to 10 dols. an acre in a BOOM BELT are not of record hereabout.
1888. Chicago Herald. Ben Butterworth, of Ohio, one of the mainstays of John Sherman’s BOOMING squad, has just had the title of boss Republican tariff debater conferred upon him by the culture of Boston.
1888. Boston Daily Globe. After the Sheridan reception, of course John Sherman must come to Boston. The Ohio statesman knows where all the real live BOOMS start. If Mr. Blaine is wise he also will come to the ‘Hub’ without delay.
1888. Missouri Republican, 16 Feb. ‘Jim, they say thar is a big BUM up at Rome.’ ‘What’s that?’ said Jim. ‘It’s a kind of new tradin’ business what swells and shrinks, and the sweller and shrinker stays down in a celler and works the machine.
TO TOP ONE’S BOOM OFF, verb. phr. (nautical).—To be off, or to start in a certain direction.
1871. G. MEREDITH, The Adventures of Harry Richmond, xxxviii., 346 (1886). ‘And now top your BOOM, and to bed here.’
TO BOOM THE CENSUS, verb. phr. (common).—To get with child.
