dial. [A modern word or series of words of onomatopœic formation; with reminiscences of plash, splash, dash, etc., and probably of blow; in sense 4 perhaps of blaze and flash.]
1. A dash or plash of liquid, as when rain appears to fall in sheets; a mixture of blow and splash.
[1725. cf. BLASHY.]
1805. A. Scott, Harvest, Poems 36 (Jam.). Where snaws and rains wi’ sleety blash.
1827. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. I. 156. A snaw storm came down frae the mountains … noo a whirl, and noo a blash.
2. Watery stuff; said of very liquid mud, poor tea, watered milk. fig. Wishy-washy talk. dial.
1835. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett. (1883), I. 52. Dear Mother, excuse all this blash.
1864. Atkinson, Whitby Gloss., s.v., ‘It’s all blash,’ or ‘blish blash’; nonsense.
Mod. Sc. No proper meal; only a blash of tea.
3. A gash or smash due to a blow; a bash.
1860. G. H. K., Vac. Tour, 169. A … skull, with a tremendous blash across it.
4. A broad flash; a blaze flashing up.
1875. Lanc. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Blash, a sudden flame. Ibid., Blash-boggart, a fire-goblin, or flash-goblin; that is, a goblin that flashes and disappears. It is more commonly used figuratively, and is applied to persons who are fiery, wild, or strange in appearance.
