subs. (old).—1. A THIEF (q.v.) whose speciality is stealing breast-pins from drunken men: also BUG HUNTER (q.v.): see BUG.
2. (low).—A man; a fellow: coarse abuse without, as a rule, any reference to the legal meaning of sodomite. Fr. bougre (which Littré says is une terme de mépris et d’injure, usité dans le langage populaire le plus trivial et le plus grossier). Applied to a man = BITCH (q.v.), applied to women: hence BUGGERY = BLOODY (q.v.); BLASTED (q.v.); BLAMED (q.v.); FUCKING (q.v.); and the usual derivatives.
1562–77. GASCOIGNE, The Fruites of Warre, 128.
| Yet still the BOWGERS (Burghers should I saye) | |
| Encreast their doubtes, and watcht me day by day. |
1719. D’URFEY, Wit and Mirth; or Pills to Purge Melancholy, I., 59. From every trench the BOUGERS fly.
1851. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I. 23. A BUGGERY fool, why don’t he let people go to hell their own way? Ibid., 180. Here mother, give us one of your BUGGERY trotters.
1854. M. J. HOLMES, Tempest and Sunshine, 203. If I’d known all you city BUGGERS was comin’, I’d a kivered my bar feet.
Verb. (common).—To cheat at play.
TO BUGGER UP, verb. phr. (common).—To spoil; to disappoint; to nullify: cf. TO BITCH UP: e.g., ‘He BUGGERED (or BITCHED) UP all his chances.’
