Chapter Blue eyed Maid to Bluff of B by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Blue Wonder (A). The German Blaues Wunder, which means “a queer story,” as Du sollst dein blaues wunder schen, You will be filled with amazement (at the queer story I have to relate). A “blue wonder” is a cock and bull story, an improbable tale, something to make one stare. The French, contes bleus.

Blue and Red, in public-house signs, are heraldic colours, as the Blue Pig, the Blue Cow, the Red Lion, the Red Hart, etc.

Blue and Yellow (The). The Edinburgh Review; so called from its yellow and blue cover. The back is yellow, the rest of the cover is blue.

Blues (The), applied to troops.
   The Oxford Blues. The Royal Horse Guards were so called in 1690, from the Earl of Oxford their commander and the blue facings. Wellington, in one of his despatches, writes:- “I have been appointed colonel of the Blues.”

“It was also known as the `Blue Guards' during the campaign in Flanders (1742-1745).”- Trimen: Regiments of the British Army.

Bluff (To), in the game called Poker, is to stake on a bad hand. This is a dodge resorted to by players to lead an adversary to throw up his cards and forfeit his stake rather than risk them against the “bluffer.”

“The game proceeded. George, although he affected no ignorance of the ordinary principles of poker, played like a novice- that is to say, he bluffed extravagantly on absurdly low hands.”- .Truth: Queer Stories, Sept. 3rd, 1885