subs. (American).—1. A poser; a stunning blow; an unanswerable argument; a cool reception, etc., etc.
1835. CROCKETT, Tour to the North and Down East, 16. The parson … called on me for a toast; Not knowing whether he intended to … have some fun at my expense, I concluded to go ahead, and give him and his likes a BLIZZARD.
1871. DE VERE, Americanisms, 443. BLIZZARD, a term referred back to the German Blitz, means in the West a stunning blow or an overwhelming argument.
1884. G. A. S[ALA], in Illustrated London News, Feb. 23, 171, col. 2. BLIZZARD. The philologers in American Slang refer back to the German Blitz; and its original meaning in the Western States seems to have been a stunning blow, or an overwhelming argument. In the Eastern States a sudden set-in of severe frost is called a ‘cold snap.’ Query, how many ‘cold snaps’ does it take to make a BLIZZARD?
1888. San Francisco News Letter. I should like to have seen the Colonel’s face when he got that very cold, BLIZZARDY letter. I bet that if Minnie had been near him he would have slapped her real hard.
2. (colloquial).—A snow-gale; furious storm of frost-wind, and blinding snow.
