A burst; a “spree.”
1849. Miners were continually coming in from different diggins, to expend a part or all of their gold on what they term “a burst;” which is a constant revel, day and night for three or four days, and often a week at a time.—Theodore T. Johnson, ‘Sights in the Gold Region,’ p. 181 (N.Y.).
1856. Mr. Carl Benson, who, while reading one of my pieces, went off on a regular bust.—Knick. Mag., xlviii. 405 (Oct.).
1857. She had retained such refreshing simplicity as … to merely associate the idea of some flexible substance with “bender,” and to consider a work of art alone suggested by “bust.”—T. B. Gunn, ‘New York Boarding-houses,’ p. 174.
1857. On fingering the money he abandoned work and went off on a fortnight’s “bust,” returning at the expiration of that time without a cent, and with delirium tremens.—Id., p. 254.
1859. Young fellows on a frolic, taking it for a “bust,” go [to a meeting] and substitute a sort of second constitution to control us here.—Mr. Thompson of Kentucky, U.S. Senate, Jan. 14: Cong. Globe, p. 376.
