blue capn.
/ˌbluː ˈkap/, U.S. /ˈblu ˌkæp/ 1. † a. In Scotland: = blue bonnet n. 1a. Obsolete.Frequently associated with the dress of servants and tradesmen.† b. In extended use. A person who wears such a cap; esp. a Scottish soldier. Also more generally: a Scotsman. Frequently depreciative. Cf. blue bonnet n. 1b. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > cap > types of > other
toque1505
biggin1511
button cap1527
undercap1531
biggin1558
fool's cap1577
apex1578
blue capa1586
wishing-cap1600
Wantage cap1609
infernal1610
porringer1623
montera1626
montera cap1652
school cap1736
wing cap1775
balloon1784
balloon-cap1785
spider-cap1790
poke-fly cap1810
strap-cap1820
mandarin cap1835
porringer-cap1839
chechia1853
turban1862
mitre1877
turban-cap1881
half-cap1893
pillbox cap1897
Queen Mary hat1928
snap-back1937
songkok1960
pakul1982
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > cap > types of > made from specific material > woollen
Scottish cap1553
blue bonnet1568
blue capa1586
Scotch cap1591
statute cap1598
Monmouth1638
Scotch bonnet1641
Highland bonnet1724
Welsh wig1797
scone1820
glengarry1841
beret1850
Balmoral1857
tam-o'-shanter1884
toboggan cap1886
tammy1894
tam1895
toboggan1907
tam1972
a1586 Christis Kirk on Grene in W. A. Craigie Maitland Folio MS. (1919) I. 133 With bougaris of barns thai birst blew cappis.
1628 in Proc. Soc. Antiquaries Scotl. (1896) 28 443 Your L. knowis, althow they [sc. soldiers] be men of personagis, They can not muster befoir your L. with thair trewis and blew cappis.
1665 M. Stevenson Poems 138 As for sadles, some got Blew Caps, some Got their old Leather breeks to ease the bumm.
1771 T. Smollett Humphry Clinker II. 213 The labourers in Scotland are generally lank, lean,..and shabby, and their little pinched blue caps have a beggarly effect.
1789 D. Davidson Thoughts Seasons 166 Slacks fidging at the sight, Wi's bra blue-cap, lent Airds a smack.
1820 W. Scott Monastery II. ii. 46 In his home-spun doublet, blue cap, and deer-skin trowsers.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > soldier wearing specific dress > [noun]
brigander1525
whitecoata1538
blue cap1598
green-coat1600
redcoatc1605
blue bonnet1637
greycoat1642
blackguard1745
red-jacket1828
busby-bag1868
red-clout1895
scarlet1896
khaki1899
the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Europe > British nation > Scots nation > [noun] > native or inhabitant of Scotland
ScoteOE
rivlin?c1300
bere-bag1352
Scotchman1407
Scottishman1429
Scotsman?c1450
blue cap1598
North Britain1604
Jockc1641
Jacky1653
Whiglander1682
Albanian1685
sawneya1704
North Briton1718
Caledonian1768
Sandy1785
Scotchy1832
Scotty1851
haggis bag1892
haggis-eater1937
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 360 Well hee is there to, and one Mordacke, and a thousand blew caps more.
a1633 Visct. Falkland Hist. Edward II (1680) 39 A rabble multitude of despised Blue-caps, encounter, rout, and break the Flower of England.
1634 Blew Cap for Me (single sheet) A Scottish Lasse her resolute chusing Shee'l have bonny blew-cap, all other refusing.
1663 J. Heath Hist. Cromwell 13 The precipitate blew cap..would needs fall upon them at Dunbar.
1765 D. Garrick Let. 7 July (1963) II. 465 At Pug-Hall may Miss Rigby be virtuous, & gay, Nor see naughty blew-caps, to lead her astray.
1819 G. Garbutt Hist. & Descriptive View Monkwearmouth & Bishopwearmouth v. 134 The Blue-caps did, however, at last succeed in pulling them down; for after a most gallant defence, Newcastle was stormed.
c. Military slang (now historical). Originally: a soldier belonging to the Royal Madras Fusiliers; (later) a soldier belonging to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of The Royal Madras Fusiliers and the Royal Bombay Fusiliers. The regiment was disbanded in 1922.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > soldier of specific force or unit > [noun]
spahi1562
legionnaire1595
strelitz1603
Croat1623
deli1667
Croatian1700
lancer1712
highlander1725
lambs1744
royals1762
light-bob1778
fly-slicer1785
Life Guardsman1785
royals?1795
Hottentot1796
yeoman1798
pandour1800
Faugh-a-Ballaghsc1811
forty-two man1816
kilty1842
Zouave1848
bumblerc1850
Inniskilliner1853
blue cap1857
turco1860
Zou-Zou1860
mudlark1878
king's man1883
Johnny1888
Piffer1892
evzone1897
horse gunner1897
dink1906
army ranger1910
grognard1912
Jock1914
chocolate soldier1915
Cook's tourist1915
dinkum1916
Anzaca1918
choc1917
ranger1942
Chindit1943
Desert Rat1944
Green Beret1949
1857 Aberdeen Jrnl. 28 Oct. 3/2 They call us the blue caps because we wear a blue cover to our caps, and the other regiments wear white ones.
1897 Daily News 25 June 6/2 The author was..gazetted to the 1st Madras Fusiliers, subsequently known as Havelock's ‘Bluecaps’.
1916 M. MacDonagh Irish at Front v. 69 Major-General Hunter-Wesson, commanding the 29th Division, made a stirring speech to the 1st Dublin Fusiliers... ‘Well done, Blue Caps!’ he cried.
2008 N. Rankin Genius for Deception v. 65 The River Clyde, with 2,000 soldiers aboard..was accompanied by open cutters full of ‘Bluecaps’, 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, towed by steam pinnaces.
2. British regional. A salmon in its first year, which has a blue spot on the head; a grilse. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > order Salmoniformes (salmon or trout) > family Salmonidae (salmon) > [noun] > genus Salmo > salmo salar (salmon) > on return from sea or in first year
grilse1417
peal1533
botchera1609
blue cap1677
grey1677
pug peal1861
grayling1879
1677 Mr. Johnson Let. 16 Apr. in J. Ray Corr. (1848) 127 These [salmon] have a broad blue spot on their heads, and are therefore called Blue-caps.
1865 J. Couch Hist. Fishes Brit. Islands IV. 220 In the west of the Kingdom the name of Blue cap is applied by some fishermen to the Salmon in the first year of its growth.
1889 Fishing 16 Feb. 210/1 Couch, on the other hand, declares them to be a distinct species known locally as the Blue Poll, Blue Cap, Blue Cocks, Finnock, and Herling.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > stone > [noun] > others
tarso1662
warming-stone1668
blue cap1686
forest-stone1789
1686 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Staffs. iv. 158 A sort of stone from its colour call'd blew-cap, good for nothing.
1885 Bull. Sci. Lab. Denison Univ. 1 73 The Niagara Group consists of the Dayton limestone, and a few layers of ‘blue cap’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > ale or beer > ale > [noun] > other ales
strawberry ale1523
red ale1557
sixteens1584
bottle ale1586
hostler ale1590
Pimlico1609
eyebright1612
quest-ale1681
hugmatee1699
Newcastle brown (ale)1707
pale ale1708
twopenny ale (or beer)1710
twoops1729
flux ale1742
pale1743
Ringwood1759
brown ale1776
light ale1780
blue cap1789
brown1820
India pale ale1837
Tipper1843
ostler ale1861
fourpenny ale1871
four-ale1883
ninepenny1886
Scotch1886
barley wine1940
IPA1953
light1953
real ale1972
1789 J. W. Calcott in G. Colman Songs: Battle of Hexham 11 The Irishman lov'd Usquebaugh, the Scot lov'd ale, call'd blue cap.
5. English regional. The blue tit, Parus caeruleus. Cf. blue bonnet n. 3a. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > arboreal families > family Paridae > [noun] > genus Parus (tit) > parus caeruleus (blue-tit)
pinnockc1275
meese1480
nun1585
tomtit1648
blue titmouse1673
puffer1773
blue cap1797
pinchem1809
blue bonnet1811
pick-cheesea1825
blue tit1831
billy-biter1843
1797 R. Beilby & T. Bewick Hist. Brit. Birds I. 239 (heading) The Blue Titmouse. Tom Tit, Blue-Cap, or Nun.
1804 W. Wordsworth Kitten & Falling Leaves 64 Where is he that giddy sprite, Blue-cap with his colours bright, Who was blest as bird could be.
1845 Zoologist 3 911 It [sc. a squirrel] leaped into a closet, in the corner of the room, in which was a dead blue-cap (Parus cæruleus).
1874 Country 9 July 26/2 It was found that..a pair of birds, commonly called ‘blue caps’, had taken up their quarters and were building a nest in it [sc. a tin bottle].
1924 Times 7 Feb. 13/5 Most musical of the titmice, in a week or two the blue-cap will be confidently chiming among the apple-branches.
6. Chiefly English regional. The cornflower, Centaurea cyanus. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > composite flowers > corn-flower
bluebottle?a1450
bluet?a1450
blue poppya1500
hawdod?1523
blue-blaw1538
cornflower1578
blue bonnet1777
blue cap1821
French pink1854
1821 J. Clare Village Minstrel II. 131 Till summer's blue-caps blossom mid the corn.
1855 A. Pratt Flowering Plants & Ferns Great Brit. II. 121 We have often heard it called the Blue-cap in Kent, and the Northamptonshire peasant calls it so.
1879 P. Lankester Talks about Plants 169 There is not a more brilliant blue flower than this, and in the country it is often called blue cap and blue bonnet.
1904 J. M. Maxwell Children's Wild Flowers 148 The aristocrat is undeniably the pretty ‘Blue cap’, who, presuming somewhat on her beauty, is rather apt to give herself little airs of dignity.
2011 J. Smith Coventry Magic 167/2 Cornflower... Other Names: bluebottle, bluebow, hurtsickle, blue cap.
7. A bluish layer in a flame; spec. (Mining) a circle of bluish flame appearing above and around the wick of a safety lamp, indicating the presence of explosive gases. Cf. cap n.1 11c. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > fire or flame > [noun] > flame or blaze > a flame > blue, showing fire-damp
show1817
blue cap1838
cap1877
1838 London & Edinb. Philos. Mag. 13 90 The flame of a common candle or jet of coal gas..consists..of..3rdly, a blue cap arising from the bottom and surrounding the dark portion.
1858 Rep. Inspectors Coal Mines 1857 26 The firedamp in the mine is also of a pure kind, and sometimes fires without any well-defined blue cap, which may have occasioned danger to pass unnoticed.
1887 Times 14 June 5/4 Within the three months preceding the date of the explosion gas has frequently been found in the mine sufficient to produce a blue cap on the flame of the safety lamp.
1912 Trans. Inst. Mining Engineers 43 265 Certain signs of danger on the miners' lamps, such as the long blue cap—blue, with a tinge of brown in it—had certainly disappeared.
1986 V. S. Vutukuri & R. D. Lama Environmental Engin. Mines iii. 96 The flame, when appropriately adjusted, shows a faint blue cap if methane is present.
Compounds
General attributive, as blue cap force, blue cap lad, etc.
ΚΠ
1624 S. Jerome Irelands Iubilee i. iv. 42 Some northren blew-cap borderer, should argue, My father was a taking man, and never died in straw.
1674 T. Flatman Belly God 114 The Kentish Pippin's best, I dare be bold, That ever blew-cap Costard monger sold.
1794 J. Ritson Scotish Songs II. 91 The blew-cap lads, with belted plaids. Syne scamper'd o'er the border.
1903 Rep. Reserve & Auxiliary Forces of Eng. 54 A reconnoissance in force by the ‘Blue Cap’ force based on Winchester, endeavoring to pierce the outpost line of ‘White Cap’ force based on Salisbury.
1975 V. A. Stuart Heroic Garrison (2003) iv. 82 Dropped to his knees beside the Blue Cap officer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2013; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
<
n.a1586