▪ I. blab, n.1
(blæb)
Forms: 4–7 blabbe, 6– blab.
[The history of blab and blabber, and the question of their mutual relations, if any, is very obscure. Blabbe n. ‘chatterer’ occurs in Chaucer c 1374, and is very common thenceforth; blab n. ‘chatter, loose talk’ is in Tale of Beryn (c 1400), but has not been found elsewhere before the 16th c., when appears also blab vb. ‘to chatter’ (1535), followed in course by its agent noun blabber. But the vb. blabber is earlier than any of these; it occurs in Piers Ploughman (1362), and is (with its deriv. blabberer) very common in Wyclif; the facts thus forbid us to take blabber as a frequentative derivative of blab vb.; while no analogy exists for the formation of either (of the only two early words) blabbe n., blabber vb., from the other. It would be hardly justifiable to assume blabbe to be a 14th c. abbreviation of blabberer. For forms akin to blabber in other langs. see that word. With blabbe we have to compare a n. labbe ‘revealer of secrets, blabber,’ in Chaucer, and a vb. labbe of same age in P. Ploughman, with pple. labbyng ‘blabbing, open-mouthed,’ also in Chaucer, identical with ODu. labben to chatter ‘garrire’ (Stratm.). Blabbe might be a mixed form due to association of labbe and blabber; but may also be purely onomatopœic. Cf. babble.]
1. An open-mouthed person, one who has not sufficient control over his tongue; a revealer of secrets or of what ought to be kept private; a babbler, tattler, or tell-tale; used also of the tongue. (Exceedingly common in 16th and 17th c.; unusual in literature since c 1750.)
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 251 Proverbis canst thi self ynow, and wost Ayenst that vice for to bene a blabbe. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 37 Blabbe, labbe, wreyare of cownselle, futilis, anubicus. 1496 Dives & Paup. (W. de W.) v. iv. 199/2 Thou shalt be noo tale teller ne blabbe to defame man or woman falsely. 1535 Coverdale Prov. xvi. 29 He y{supt} is a blabbe of his tonge, maketh deuysion amonge prynces. 1577 Holinshed Chron. IV. 933 Now I will plaie the blab. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis iv. (Arb.) 105 Fame, the blab vnciuil. 1600 Heywood 2 Edw. IV, 148 This tongue was never knowne to be a blab. 1656 W. Dugard Gate Lat. Unl. §644. 197 A long-tongued blab, uttering the secrets committed to him. 1671 Milton Samson 491 To be excluded all friendship, and avoided as a blab. 1853 C. Auchester I. 290 Miss Lawrence is a blab. 1869 Spurgeon J. Ploughm. Talk 42 Some men are quite as bad blabs as the women. |
2. Loose talk or chatter; babbling; divulging of secrets.
| c 1400 Beryn 3022 Leve thy blab, lewd fole! 1548 Hall Chron. Rich. III an. 2 If he had taryed styl, the duke had not made so many blabbes of his counsail. a 1604 Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633) 127 Thus the blabbe of his tongue, turned to his confusion. 1679 Observ. last Dutch Wars 8 You with your blustring blabs. 1863 W. Whitman Elem. Drifts 2 All that blab whose echoes recoil on me. |
† 3. ? as adj. Incontinent of speech. Obs.
| 1552 Huloet, Blabbe, linguax. 1590 Greene Mourn. Garm. (1616) 20 Fame is blab. 1598 Sylvester Du Bartas (1621) 250 Phrenzie, that makes the vaunter insolent; The talk-full, blab. |
4. Comb. See after blab v.
▪ II. † blab, n.2 Obs. exc. dial.
[A variant of bleb, blob.]
A bubble; a blister, a swelling.
| 1656 Trapp Comm. Acts viii. 9 Such a blab the devil had blown up there, as a small wind may blow up a bubble. 1861 Ramsay Remin. v. (ed. 18) 115 I've had..the blabs [note, Nettle-rash]. |
Hence blab-lipped = blabber-lipped.
| c 1430 Chester Pl. (1818) 41 If any blabb-lipped boyes be in my way They shall rue it by mighty Mahowne. 1591 Harington Orl. Fur. xliii. cxxviii, Blab-lipt, beetle-browd, and bottle-nozed. |
▪ III. blab, v.1
Also 6–7 blabb(e, (6 blobbe).
[App. f. blabbe, blab n.1; prob. under the influence of blabber v.]
To talk or utter as a blab.
† 1. trans. To utter with open mouth; usually with out. Also absol. To talk much or ineptly; to chatter, babble, ‘blether.’ Obs.
| 1535 Coverdale Prov. xv. 2 A foolish mouth blabbeth out nothinge but foolishnesse [1568 Bishops', bableth: 1611 poureth out, marg. Heb. belcheth or bubbleth]. 1570 Levins Manip. 1 Blab, garrire, multiloqui. 1598 Deloney Jacke Newb. vii. 87 He blabbed out this broken English. |
2. a. trans. To open one's mouth about (a thing better kept in); to tell, or reveal indiscreetly.
| 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 48, I do hold yt lawful..to blab theyre secrecye priuat. 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet B iiij b, Ile blabb all, and not sticke to tell. 1591 Troub. Raigne K. John (1611) 22 Must I recount my shame, Blab my misdeeds? 1612 R. Carpenter Soules Sent. 101 To blab or blaze a dead mans follies. 1620 Swetnam Arraign'd (1880) 28 What will not women blab to those they love. 1741 Richardson Pamela I. 38 It will be said I blab every thing. 1834 Pringle Afr. Sk. xiv. 459 One of the Boors..afterwards blabbed the real facts of the transaction. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 179 This pushing talkative divine, who was always blabbing secrets. |
b. Often with out (forth, abroad).
| 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Matt. xiii. 44 He blabbeth it not abrode to others. 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 822 He blabbed not out all the conspiracy. 1635 Camden's Hist. Eliz. iii. 269 He had blabbed forth somewhat to the prejudice of the King. 1742 R. Blair Grave 433 Oh! that some courteous ghost would blab it out. 1869 Dixon Tower (1870) II. xiv. 141 He blabbed out the secret to his priest. |
3. intr. To talk indiscreetly about what should be kept secret, to reveal or betray secrets.
| 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. i. ii. 63 When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see. 1733 Swift Poetry Wks. 1755 IV. i. 188 If you blab, you are undone. 1747 B. Hoadly Suspic. Husb. iii. ii, Mum's the Word, I never blab. 1865 Carlyle Fred. Gt. IV. ii. i. 18 His Brother..had blabbed upon the Prince. 1870 Lowell Among my Bks. Ser. i. (1873) 202 We certainly should not have guessed it, if he had not blabbed. |
4. trans. (transf.) To reveal otherwise than by talking; to betray, bewray.
| 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iii. i. 154 Beaufords red sparkling eyes blab his hearts mallice. 1646 J. Hall Poems i. 14 His age is blab'd by silver haires. 1654 E. Johnson Wond.-wkg. Provid. 103 Least his watry eyes should blab abroad the secret conjunction of his affections. |
5. Comb., as blab-mouth, blab-tongue; so blab-mouthed adj.; blab-off attrib. (see quot. 1953).
| 1600 S. Nicholson Acolastus (1876) 14 O blab-tongue Tantalus, why dost not eate? 1683 Chalkhill Thealma & Cl. 34 Report, the blab-tongue of those tell-tale times. 1865 Washington Star 29 Apr., Such a shallow-pated blab-mouth. 1913 D. H. Lawrence Sons & Lovers I. i. 16 He was blab-mouthed, a tongue-wagger. 1953 Daily Mail 20 Nov. 7/2 A member suggested that the Chamber of the House [of Commons] should be fitted with ‘blab-off switches’... These ‘popular devices enabled American viewers [of television] to switch off advertisers’ announcements'. 1958 A. Sillitoe Sat. Night & Sun. Morn. vi. 82 She was known as a blab-mouth in all the pubs. 1962 Punch 5 Dec. 834/2 Others..ignore the commercial interference..without benefit of blab-off devices. |
▪ IV. † blab, v.2 Obs.
[f. blab n.2; cf. bleb, blob.]
trans. To swell, make swollen (the cheeks). Hence blabbed ppl. a.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 427 Some of them looke pale, with a paire of flaggie blabd-cheekes. 1719 Ramsay Content Wks. 1848 I. 148 [She] Blabs her fair cheeks till she is almost blind. Poor Phillis' death the briny pearl demands. |