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Origin and history of bluster

bluster(v.)

late 14c., "stray blindly or blunderingly, wander aimlessly, go astray;" c. 1400, of persons, "shout loudly and angrily," from a Low German source, such as Middle Low German blüstren "to blow violently," East Frisian blüstern "to bluster," probably from the same source as blow (v.1), or perhaps imitative. Of weather in English from mid-15c. Related: Blustered; blustering.

bluster(n.)

1580s, "a storm of violent wind," from bluster (v.). The meaning "noisy, boisterous, inflated talk" is from 1704.

also from 1580s

Entries linking to bluster

blow(v.1)

"move air, produce a current of air," Middle English blouen, from Old English blawan "to blow (of the wind, bellows, etc.), breathe, make an air current; kindle; inflate; sound" a wind instrument (class VII strong verb; past tense bleow, past participle blawen), from Proto-Germanic *blæ-anan (source of Old High German blaen, German blähen), according to Watkins from PIE root *bhle- "to blow."

The transitive sense of "carry by a wind or current of air" is from c. 1300; that of "fill with air, inflate" is from late 14c. Of noses, from 1530s; of electrical fuses, from 1902. The meaning "to squander" (money) is from 1874; that of "lose or bungle" (an opportunity, etc.) is by 1943. The sense of "depart (some place) suddenly" is from 1902.

As a colloquial imprecation by 1781, associated with sailors (as in Popeye's "well, blow me down!"); it has past participle blowed.

To blow (a candle, etc.) out "extinguish by a current of air" is from late 14c. To blow over "pass" is from 1610s, originally of storms. To blow hot and cold "vacillate" is from 1570s. To blow off steam (1837) is a figurative use from steam engines releasing pressure. Slang blow (someone or something) off "dismiss, ignore" is by 1986. To blow (someone's) mind was in use by 1967; there is a song title "Blow Your Mind" released in a 1965 Mirawood recording by a group called The Gas Company.

 For the sexual sense, see blow-job. 

blustery(adj.)

1739, "noisy, swaggering," of persons; 1774, "rough, stormy," of weather; from bluster (n.) + -y (2). Blustering is from 1510s as "stormy, tempestuous;" 1650s as "boastful, swaggering." Shakespeare used blusterous.

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    boast
    mid-13c., "arrogance, presumption, pride, vanity;" c. 1300, "a brag, boastful speech," from Anglo-French bost "ostentation," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian baus "proud, bold, daring"), from Proto-Germanic *bausia "to blow up, puff up, swell" (source also o
    tout
    1700, thieves' cant, "to act as a lookout, spy on," from Middle English tuten "to peep, peer," probably from a variant of Old English totian "to stick out, peep, peer," from Proto-Germanic *tut- "project" (source also of Dutch tuit "sprout, snout," Middle Dutch tute "nipple, pap,
    swash
    1530s, expressing a blow or the fall of a heavy body, probably imitative. It also meant "pig-wash, filth, wet refuse" (1520s) and may have been imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects or a heavy blow on a yielding surface. The meaning "a body of splashing wa
    fluster
    (implied in flostrynge), "bluster, agitate," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Icelandic flaustr "bustle," flaustra...
    bounce
    In 17c., "to talk big, bluster; bully, scold."...
    hurl
    .); perhaps related to Low German hurreln "to throw, to dash," and East Frisian hurreln "to roar, to bluster."...
    declamation
    bad sense, "loud, eager talking," noun of action from past-participle stem of declamare "to practice public speaking, to bluster...
    amplify
    early 15c., "to enlarge, expand, increase," from Old French amplifier (15c.), from Latin amplificare "to enlarge," from amplus "large" (see ample) + combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). The meaning "augment in volume or amount" is from 1570s
    exaggerate
    1530s, "to pile up, accumulate," from Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare "heighten, amplify, magnify," literally "to heap, pile, load, fill," from ex, here probably "thoroughly" (see ex-), + aggerare "heap up, accumulate," figuratively "amplify, magnify," from agger
    crow
    general common name of birds of the genus Corvus (the larger sort being sometimes called ravens), Old English crawe, which is held to be imitative of the bird's cry. Compare Old Saxon kraia, Dutch kraai, Old High German chraja, German Kräke. Also other imitative bird-names such a

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