Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BLUFF, Blugh, v. “To blow in jerks or puffs from the mouth, to blow small objects by means of a tube; as, to bluff peas” (Sc. 1887 Jam.⁶; Abd.²² 1935). See also Pluff. [blʌf]

Hence bluffer, blugher, n. (see quot.).Sc. 1887 Jam.⁶:
About the end of autumn schoolboys often amuse themselves by bluffing haw-stones at each other by means of a small tin tube, called a bluffer, or blugher, pluffer or plugher. In country districts the tube is made from a stalk of the cow-parsnip or water-dropwort.