subs. (old and still colloquial).—(1) Froth or frothy liquid; (2) a jumble of liquors (B. E. and GROSE): e.g., brandy (or milk) and beer, milk and rum, etc.: also as verb = to ‘dash’ with another liquid, and hence to adulterate (GROSE); (3) a jumble of words, nonsense, trash; and (4) ‘lewd conversation’ (GROSE), obscenity, scurrility. [O.E.D.: From the evidence at present the inference is that the current sense was transferred … with the notion of ‘frothy talk.’ Century: Of obscure origin, apparently dial. or slang.]
1598. NASHE, Have with You to Saffron-Walden, To Reader. Two blunderkins, hauing their braines stuft with nought but BALDER-DASH. Ibid. (1599), Lenten Stuffe, 8. They would no more … have their heads washed with his bubbly spume or barbers’ BALDERDASH.
1611. CHAPMAN, May-Day, iii. 4. S’foot winesucker, what have you fill’d us here? BALDERDASH?
1629. JONSON, The New Inn, i. 2. Beer, or butter-milk, mingled to-gether … To drink such BALDERDASH!
1637. TAYLOR, Drink and Welcome [WORCESTER]. Beer, by a mixture of wine … hath lost both name and nature, and is called BALDERDASH.
1641. HEYWOOD, Reader, Here You’ll, etc., 6. Where sope hath fayl’d without, BALDERDASH wines within will worke no doubt.
1674. MARVELL, The Rehearsal Transposed, II. 243. Did ever Divine rattle out such prophane BALDERDASH!
1674. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, iii., 304. When Thames was BALDERDASHED with Tweed.
1694. MOTTEUX, Rabelais, V. xlvi. Will he … go shite out his nasty rhyming BALDERDASH in some bog-house? Ibid. (1702), Prologue to FARQUHAR’S The Inconstant. Poets, like vintners, BALDERDASH and brew Your surly scenes.
1714. MILBOURNE, The Traitor’s Reward, Pref. Was ever God’s word so BALDERDASH’D?
1766. SMOLLETT, Travels, xix. The wine merchants of Nice brew and BALDERDASH and even mix it with pigeon’s dung and quicklime. Ibid. (1771), The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (1890), I. 156. Wine … a vile, unpalatable, and pernicious sophistication, BALDERDASHED with cider, corn-spirit, and the juice of sloes.
1777. HORNE TOOKE, Trial, 25. I heard him charge this publication with ribaldry, scurrility, billingsgate, and BALDERDASH.
1809. MALKIN, Gil Blas [SMOLLETT], 147. Nothing but flimsy BALDERDASH in their talk. Ibid., 197. I was a walking budget of BALDERDASH.
1812. Edinburgh Review, xx. 419. The BALDERDASH which men must talk at popular meetings.
1821. IRVING [WARNER, Life (1882), 136]. A fostered growth of poetry and romance, and BALDERDASHED with false sentiment.
1849. MACAULAY, The History of England, I. 351. I am almost ashamed to quote such nauseous BALDERDASH.
1854. THACKERAY, The Newcomes, I. 10. To defile the ears of young boys with this wicked BALDERDASH.
1865. CARLYLE, Frederick the Great, II. vii. v. 287. No end florid inflated tautologic ornamental BALDERDASH.
1900. GRIFFITHS, Fast and Loose, xxix. He had heard amidst much BALDERDASH something that might be useful.
