Entirely, completely, close up.
1601. The wind Septentrio that bloweth plumbe North.—Holland’s ‘Pliny,’ p. 609. (N.E.D.)
1847. I’m plumb out of bread.—T. B. Thorpe, ‘The Big Bear of Arkansas’: ‘Life and Manners in Arkansas,’ by an Ex-Governor, p. 157 (Phila.).
1850. His breeches split plum across with the strain, and the piece of wearin’ truck wot’s next the skin made a monstrous putty flag as the old hoss, like drunkards to a barbacue, streakt it up the road.—H. C. Lewis (‘Madison Tensas’), ‘Odd Leaves,’ p. 51 (Phila.).
1851. Thar was one of the etarnalest whollopin’ bars cummin’ crack, crack, through the cane an’ kerslesh over the creek, and stopped right plumb slap up whar Ike’s gun was.—‘Polly Peablossom’s Wedding,’ &c., p. 52.
1851. [He] looked me right plum in the face as savage as er meet axe!—Id., p. 149.
1858. He wur plum crazy, an’ jumped over the frunt ov the pulpit.—Olympia Pioneer, Feb. 26.
1859. We ’re plum out of every thing to eat in the house.—Knick. Mag., liii. 316 (March).
1860. [Mr. Lincoln’s house at Springfield, Ill.] is built plumb out to the sidewalk.—N.Y. Herald, Aug. 13.
1860. I took the wrong trail, and rode plump up to a band of hostiles at We-tum-kee; but they were so absorbed in a war-dance I got off without being discovered.—J. F. H. Claiborne, ‘Life of Gen. Sam. Dale,’ p. 67 (N.Y.).
1865. We kin come up with him yit, ef we turn plumb round, and foller on t’other road,—whar we lost the trail,—back thar, three miles ter the deadnin’.—Edmund Kirke, ‘John Jordan,’ Atlantic Monthly, xvi. 441/1 (Oct.).
1893. “You’re plumb crazy,” she remarked with easy candor. “By the time you got a teethin’ baby of your own you won’t hev time to see ghosts.”—Harper’s Weekly, p. 1211/3 (Dec. 16). (N.E.D.)
