Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. the eyes, occas. sing.; thus glass-blinkers, spectacles.

1797		M. Robinson Walsingham II 161: ‘Sport your glass-blinkers, old grizzlepate,’ cried the inebriated prisoner.
1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) II 183: The master appeared in person [...] which stretched the old fellow’s blinkers into a stare.
1816		‘Quiz’ Grand Master I ii: A patent pair of goggle winkers, Conceal’d from public view his blinkers [F&H].
1821		‘A Real Paddy’ Real Life in Ireland 53: He tipped him a left-handed clink on the mazzard, which put his pimple in chancery, making the whites of his blinkers turn up.
1833		M. Scott Tom Cringle’s Log (1862) 71: After a long look through his starboard blinker (his other skylight had been shut up ever since Aboukir), Captain Deadeye gave orders.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 72: And as for dossing, send I may live! [...] vy, I never dropd my blinkers all night.
1867		Bell’s Life in Sydney 2 Mar. 5/2: Both showed much punishment about the phiz [...] Probert’s blinkers approaching obliviousness.
1878		Dodge City Times 30 Mar. in Miller & Snell Why the West was Wild 299: The one-armed slugger received a slight scratch under his left blinker.
1888		Amer. Humorist n.p.: ‘Blank your blinkers,’ angrily retorted Brudee, ‘your business was not to fight, but to show us the enemy.’ [F&H].
1896		W.C. Gore Student Sl. in Cohen (1997) 15: blinker n. Eye.
1892		E.W. Rogers [perf. Marie Lloyd] G’arn Away 🎵 [A] swell from the West winked his blinkers once at me.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘A Courting Case in Court’ Sporting Times 7 Apr. 1/4: To stop all my chaffing, he shut up my north / With his elbow, and then caught my blinker, / Through his fist having cannoned against it by chance.
1900		Flynt & Walton Powers That Prey 203–4: I can’t help figurin’ out what I can make of a nervy kid if I get my blinkers on him.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 15 May 4/8: J.B.M. from sandy Subie / Got his blinkers on their charms.
1910		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘Wait and See!’ Sporting Times 9 Apr. 1/3: We must keep our mouths wide open, and our blinkers tightly shut.
1925		G.H. Mullin Adventures of a Scholar Tramp 85: Every time I shut my blinkers, I hear you yappin’.
1944		‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.
1952		M. Blosser ‘Freckles’ 20 Sept. [synd. comic strip] Cast your limpid blinkers on this [W&F].

2. eyeglasses, spectacles.

1803		J. Bristed Pedestrian Tour I 38: A little fellow, with blinkers over his eyes [F&H].
1821		Egan Life in London (1869) 371: I know it is rather a dangerous passage, particularly for blinkers.
1853		Thackeray Eng. Humorists 187: The timid shufflers who only dare to look up at life through blinkers.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1880		H.L. Williams Darkey Sleep-Walker 3: I might go all around de world afore he’d let me look at any man who don’t wear green blinkers.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 9: Blinkers, spectacles.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Oct. 11/3: My poor sight wouldn’t matter [...]. When interviewing the doctor I therefore wore my ‘blinkers,’ and he gently but firmly refused me.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 9/1: Blinkers, eyeglasses.
1973		(con. 1930s) F. Huelin ‘Keep Moving’ 33: They picked on me right away. I was the only one wearing glasses. ‘Hi! you,’ one of them called, ‘you with the blinkers!’.
1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 149: Mr. K. is wearing new blinkers.