A district of ancient Greece proverbial for the stupidity of its inhabitants: hence fig.
1786. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Ep. Boswell, Wks. 1794, I. 313. A dim Bœotia reigns in every skull.
1884. A. Lang, in Harper’s Mag., Nov., 895/2. Essex appears to be looked on as the Bœotia of England.
Hence Bœotize v., to become or make Bœotian.
1789. Parr, Wks. (1828), VII. 410. I live quite in Bœotia, and Bœotize daily.
1846. Grote, Greece (1854), I. 183. These inhabitants of Orchomenos, before it became bœotised.
