This word at first meant a smart blow: see quot. 1856; and was so used by Col. Crockett in 1834 (Bartlett). During the hard winter of 1880–1 it came into general use (though thus used previously) to signify an intolerable snowstorm, with high wind.
1834. During dinner the parson called for a bottle of wine, and called on me for a toast. Not knowing whether he intended to compliment me, or abash me among so many strangers, or have some fun at my expense, I concluded to go ahead, and give him and his likes a blizzard.—‘Col. Crockett’s Tour,’ p. 16.
1856.
| And then, behold, King Henry, very dead, | |
| Lies stiff and cold upon his gory bed, | |
| When some true archer, from the upper tier, | |
| Gave him a “blizzard” on the nearest ear. | |
Sacramento City (Cal.) Item, n.d. |
1863. I’d gin him a blizzard, if I died for it the next minit.—J. B. Jones, ‘Wild Western Scenes,’ p. 76 (Richmond, Va.).
1885. A North Dakota blizzard is well described by Mrs. Custer in ‘Boots and Saddles’ (Harper and Brothers).
1902. Until one has encountered a western blizzard the word has little meaning.—Bishop Whipple, ‘Lights and Shadows,’ p. 88. (Italics in the original.)
[For quotations 1880–3 see the N.E.D. The word is copiously discussed in Notes and Queries, Series 7 and 9. It seems to be Midland English, in the form of blizzer, blizzomer, blizzom, &c. A house in the Fulham Road, London, bore the name of Blizzard House, some forty years ago, having no doubt belonged to the family so named, as to which see Notes and Queries, 7 S. xii. 336.
