Bolted Bolted out. Either ran off suddenly, or being barred out of the house.
The horse bolted. The
horse shot off like a bolt or arrow.
Bolted Arrow A blunt arrow for shooting young rooks with a cross-bow; called “bolting rooks.” A gun would not do, and an arrow would mangle the little things too much.
Bolton The Bolton Ass. This creature is said to have chewed tobacco and taken snuff. (Dr. Doran.)
Bate
me an ace, quoth Bolton. Give me some advantage. What you say must be qualified, as it is too strong.
Ray says that a collection of proverbs were once presented to the Virgin Queen, with the assurance that
it contained all the proverbs in the language; but the Queen rebuked the boaster with the proverb, “Bate
me an ace, quoth Bolton,” a proverb omitted in the compilation. John Bolton was one of the courtiers
who used to play cards and dice with Henry VIII., and flattered the king by asking him to allow him an
ace or some advantage in the game.
Bolus An apothecary. Apothecaries are so called because they administer boluses. Similarly Mrs.
Suds is a washer-woman; Boots is the shoeblack of an inn, etc.
George Colman adopts the name for his
apothecary, who wrote his labels in rhyme, one of which was-
“When taken,but the patient being shaken, instead of the mixture, died.
To be well shaken”;
Bomb A shell filled with gunpowder. (Greek, bombos; Latin, bombus, any deep noise. Thus Festus says: “Bombus, sonus non apium tantum, aut poculi bilbientis, sed etiam tonitr&scirc.” And Catullus applies it to the blast of a trumpet, “efflabant cornua bombis,” lxiv. 263.)