> as lemmas

1730 Proc. Old Bailey 8 Apr. 13/2 I am sorry I did not blow your Brains out.

1743 H. Fielding Jonathan Wild iii. iv, in Misc. III. 210 Our Hero next applied himself to another of his Gang, who instantly received his Orders, and instead of hesitating at a single Murther, asked if he should blow out the Brains of all the Passengers, Coachman and all.

1782 F. Burney Cecilia III. vi. i. 223 A man's running in debt, and spending other people's substances, for no reason in the world but just because he can blow out his own brains when he's done.

1834 T. Carlyle Sartor Resartus ii. vi, in Fraser's Mag. Mar. 306/2 Establish himself in Bedlam; begin writing Satanic Poetry; or blow out his brains.

1889 G. Bishop Beachcombers (1900) xvi. 101 As soon's he stepped on the deck the skipper puts his revolver to his head an' blew his brains out.

1929 S. L. Cook Torchlight Parade iii. 29 Her name was coupled with Eaton's at this time and when the husband blew his brains out she married him.

1967 Esquire July 59 The new pornography depicts practitioners acting out another, murkier drive: people staving teeth in, ripping guts open, blowing brains out, and getting even with all those bastards.

2003 Sight & Sound Dec. 55/2 Whereas Hooper's gang of doomed teenagers pick up a jittery hitchhiker whose behaviour creeps them out so much they throw him from their van, his equivalent here blows her brains out in full view of the audience.