subs. (colloquial).—A man swollen with the pride of rank or wealth; a general sobriquet applied by ‘the masses’ to ‘the classes.’ [‘Bloated’ has long been employed in a similar sense. Swift spoke of a certain statesman as ‘a bloated minister’ [1731]: cf. quot. 1696.]
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. BLOATED, … one puffed or swelled with false Fat, and has not a Healthy Complexion.
1861. THACKERAY, The Adventures of Philip, I., 101. What a BLOATED ARISTOCRAT Thingamy has become since he got his place!
1863. G. A. SALA, Breakfast in Bed essay I., 17 (1864). Of the two most salient English gentlemen represented, one is a BLOATED ARISTOCRAT of a Baronet hopelessly in debt, the other a vapid brainless nobleman.
1869. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), The Innocents Abroad, x. We sat down finally, at a late hour, in the great Casino, and called for unstinted champagne. It is so easy to be BLOATED ARISTOCRATS where it costs nothing of consequence!
