Chapter Blue Flag to Boating Colours of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Blunderbore, the giant who was drowned because Jack scuttled his boat.—Jack the Giant-killer.

Blunt (Colonel), a brusque royalist, who vows “he’d woo no woman,” but falls in love with Arbella an heiress, woos and wins her. T. Knight, who has converted this comedy into a farce, with the tittle of Honest Thieves, calls colonel Blunt “captain Manly.”—Hon. Sir R. Howard: The Committee (1670).

Blunt (Major-general), an old cavalry officer, rough in speech, but brave, honest, and a true patriot.—Shadwell: The Volunteers (1690).

Blushington (Edward), a bashful young gentleman of 25, sent as a poor scholar to Cambridge, without any expectations; but by the death of his father and uncle left all at once as “rich as a nabob.” At college he was called “the sensitive plant of Brasenose,” because he was always blushing, He dines by invitation at Friendly Hall, and commits ceaseless blunders. Next day his college chum, Frank Friendly, writes word that he and his sister Dinah, with sir Thomas and lady Friendly, will dine with him. After a few glasses of wine, he loses his bashful modesty, makes a long speech, and becomes the accepted suitor of the pretty Miss Dinah Friendly.—Moncrieff: The Bashful Man.

Bo or Boh, says Warton, was a fierce Gothic chief, whose name was used to frighten children. This needs confirmation.

Boadicea, wife of Præsutagus king of the Iceni. For the better security of his family, Præsutagus made the emperor of Rome coheir with his daughters; whereupon the Roman officers took possession of his palace, gave up the princesses to the licentious brutality of the Roman soldiers, and scourged the queen in public. Boadicea, roused to vengeance, assembled an army, burnt the Roman colonies of London, Colchester [Camalodunum], Ve rulam, etc., and slew above 80,000 Romans. Subsequently, Suetonius Paulinus defeated the Britons, and Boadicea poisoned herself, A.D. 61.

(J. Fletcher wrote a tragedy called Boadicea in 1611; and Glover one in 1758.)

Boanerges , a declamatory pet parson, who anathematizes all except his own “elect.” “He preaches real rousing-up discourses, but sits down pleasantly to his tea, and makes himself friendly.”—Mrs. Oliphant: Salem Chapel.

A protestant Boanerges, visiting Birmingham, sent an invitation to Dr. Newman to dispute publicly with him in the Town Hall.—E. Yates: Celebrities, xxii.

Boanerges or “sons of thunder” is the name given by Jesus Christ to James and John, because they wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans.—Luke ix. 54.

Boar (The), Richard III., so called from his cognizance.

The bristled boar, in infant gore,
Wallows beneath the thorny shade.
   —Gray: The Bard (1757).

In contempt Richard III. is called The Hog, hence the popular distich—

The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell the dog,
Rule all England under the Hog.

(“The Cat” is Catesby, and “the Rat” Ratcliffe.)

Boar (The Blue). This public-house sign (Westminster) is the badge of the Veres earls of Oxford.

The Blue Boar Lane (St. Nicholas, Leicester) is so named from the cognizance of Richard III., because he slept there the night before the battle of Bosworth Field.