Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to talk; thus blab it out, to hurry and finish talking.

c.1550		T. Ingelend Disobedient Child Biiii: Make hast Blaunche Blabbe it out, and come a waye.
c.1580		‘I.T.’ Grim The Collier of Croydon I iv: I will not blab unto the World.
1594		Lyly Mother Bombie II iv: I blabd nothing of the marriage.
1600		Look About You viii: If she be displeased at any news I bring, it’s more than I must blab.
1609		Jonson Silent Woman IV i: All blabbing is taken away, when shee comes to be a part of the crime.
1623		Dekker Welsh Embassador I i: Hange padlocks best on yor owne lipps, you and Voltimar should you blabb all, this can outface you both.
1632		F. Quarles Divine Fancies 146: My Pleasures, that so much inflame / My Thoughts will blabb how full of sores I am.
1640		T. Heywood Love’s Mistress V i: I am soul-vext, that any mortal eye should see our Customs, and [...] blab them to the wide ear of the world.
1654		Witts Recreations Epigram No. 187: Children fondly blab truth, and fools their brothers.
1705		Vanbrugh Confederacy II ii: I wish my old hobbling Mother han’t been blabbing something here she shou’d not do.
1723		R. Wodrow Analecta II (1842) 380: A woman who had been employed [...] to sweep the room and stairs, and put on fires, had blabbed out her being present in the room when the Earl of Leicester and the Princess were in bed together.
1726		Proceedings Old Bailey 20 Apr. 6/2: For upon this Quarrel Partridge to be revenged on Herrington, had blab’d something of the Secret, and afterwards gave a large Information of a great many others.
1749		Fielding Tom Jones (1959) 327: If he should order mutton, don’t blab out that we have none.
1814		Last Act in New British Theatre I iii: Blab all over the village.
1815		D. Roberts Sequel to Military Adventures of Johnny Newcome II 125: Urged by vanity, he can’t be mute, And blabs to shew he’s clever and acute.
1821		Flash Dict.
1830		Lytton Paul Clifford I 76: ‘If so be as you von’t blab, I’ll tell you a bit of a secret.’.
1833		S. Smith Major Downing (1834) 125: It’s like as not, the newspapers ’ll blab it out.
1842		S. Lover Handy Andy 120: I hope you have not blabbed much about our affairs.
1854		D. Jerrold Heart of Gold Act I: You’ve not gossipped – blabbed?
c.1868		‘New Political & Reform Alphabet’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 83: And blab not of the ill-gotten spoil.
1879		G.G. Hart E.C.B. Susan Jane 8: That Mizzen there is sure to blab.
1887		H. Frederic Seth’s Brother’s Wife 321: I ain’t much of a han’ to blab everythin’.
1895		E. Pugh Street in Suburbia 39: What do you want to go an’ blab it out like that for?
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 15 June 583: The tortoise cannot blab.
1907		J.M. Synge Playboy of the Western World Act I: Don’t tell your father and the men is coming above; for if they heard that story they’d have great blabbing this night at the wake.
1914		Day Book (Chicago) 5 Mar. 8/1: He blabs it all out to Maria how he killed the foreman.
1916		C. Sandburg ‘To a Contemporary Bunkshooter’ Chicago Poems n.p.: You come along squirting words at us [...] always blabbing we’re all going to hell straight off and you know all about it.
1922		A. Christie Secret Adversary (1955) 19: Who’s been blabbing? Rita?
1933		J.T. Farrell Gas-House McGinty 126: He hoped that O’Brien and Mulroney wouldn’t blab out their wise jokes that weren’t funny.
1938		W. Smitter F.O.B. Detroit 233: I’ll tell you something, if you’ll keep your mouth shut, don’t blab it around.
1947		S. Lewis Kingsblood Royal (2001) 142: I don’t want to go on blabbing this.
1958		A. King Mine Enemy Grows Older (1959) 80: I suppose Irving had blabbed to them about my job.
1969		P. Theroux Murder in Mount Holly (1999) 53: So we sit here blabbing about it [...] Why don’t we do something about it?
1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 15: ‘It is strictly confidential’ she blabbed.
1989		T. Blacker Fixx 284: Blabbing desperate, boastful nonsense about your work.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 12: Don’t go blabbin’ y’fuckin head off.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 124: Ah remembur this mot blabbin on abou’ fuckin Noraid an shite.

2. to confess, to tell about.

1549		T. Chaloner (trans.) Erasmus Praise of Folie (1509) 22: It is best therefore that herein I remembre Harpocrates for his silence, lest some euisdropper god, doe herken me blabbying foorth suche thynges of theim.
1589		Lyly Pappe with an Hatchet B2: Ile blabb all, and not stick to tell, that pews and stews are rime in their religion.
1675		C. Cotton Scoffer Scoff’d (1765) 171: I a Secret will not blab.
1679–82		‘West-Country Wooing’ in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads (1891) VII:2 253: Young-men are apt to blab what’s done in private.
1724		Swift ‘His Grace’s Answer’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 153: Or if at last, I needs must blab it, / According to my usuall habit.
1748–49		Cleland Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1985) 84: He never gave me the least reason to complain [...] of his indisretion in blabing.
1754		Foote Knights in Works (1799) I 80: You have not blabbed, Jenny?
1764		Foote Patron in Works (1799) I 358: The giddy baggage will blab all.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ A Dict. of the Turf, The Ring, The Chase, etc. 11: Blab—to let out a secret.
1829		Vidocq Memoirs (trans. W. McGinn) II 159: I have only to blab, and his business is settled.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 6: Blab, to – to nose, to chatter, to tell secrets.
1838		Dickens Oliver Twist (1966) 142: If he means to blab us among his new friends, we may stop his mouth yet.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 14 May n.p.: Is she aware that some of her scandal confidents have blabbed to some of those she is the habit of abusing.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 1: Blab - To say too much.
1884		Leicester Chron. 21 June 12/1: Women’s tongues are loose, and the slops might frighten ’em into blabbing.
1916		J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 257: Peter was a fool, and if there was anything to blab, sooner or later Peter would blab it.
1924		C.J. Dennis ‘Knight’s Return’ in Chisholm (1951) 84: I’ll blab it to the crowd – / If I’m allowed.
1930		W.R. Burnett Iron Man 247: ‘Hell,’ said Coke, ‘I don’t go around blabbing things.’.
1945		(con. 1928) R. Westerby Mad in Pursuit 107: He went off and blabbed the whole thing to the police.
1953		Kramer & Karr Teen-Age Gangs 36: They give you the cold-turkey treatment for a while, they offer you a cap, and you blab everything you know.
1958		A. Sillitoe Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 61: I’d better not blab my mouth and tell her why I want the advice.
1961		R.S. Close With Hooves of Brass 41: It wouldn’t do for her to make the approach. The big galah might be silly enough to blab about it around the mill, and do nothing.
1966		B. Reckord Skyvers III i: If you hadn’t blabbed about bloody tarts we wouldn’t be here.
1973		E. Bunker No Beast So Fierce 179: I blabbed my soul and you won’t say anything.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 74: Maybe he was ready to blab to the authorities.
1998		P. McCabe Breakfast on Pluto 111: Why I had to go and do a stupid thing like blab it all to Louise instead of keeping it to myself.
2000		T. Blacker Kill Your Darlings 290: No way would I blab his big secret around the place.
2004		C. Hiaasen Skinny Dip 127: She’d blab to the water district about his phony samples.
2012		C. Stella Rough Riders 89: We’re trying to keep a lid on it but the kids that found him will probably blab it.
2015		L. McInerney Glorious Heresies 153: ‘He trusts me not to blab’.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 119: I blabbed wiretap outtakes.

3. (also blab out) to inform.

1582		Stanyhurst Of Virgil his Æneis II: To scorne theyre persons, to blab theyre secrecy priuat.
c.1590		Jeronimo (1605) Fii: reueng: No, youle blab secrets then and: By Charons boat. I will not.
1599		Nashe Praise of the Red Herring 70: A secret that all Tapsters will curse mee for blabbing.
1608		Machin & Markham Dumbe Knight I i: His eie steales to my heart, and lets it see More than it would, peace, blab no secrecie.
1638		Rowley Shoo-maker, a Gentleman Act IV: Oh my good dame, I to your eares must now unlocke A secret, which if ere you blab abroad...
1653		Mercurius Democritus 5-12 Oct. 607: Her Mother [...] calling her base foolish Slutt, that could not be content to make her Husband a Cuckold [...] but that must blab and tell him of it.
1671		‘De Vino & Venere’ in Ebsworth Westminster Drolleries (1875) 71: Blind Love will blab what he in secret did.
1694		J. Crowne Married Beau V i: He has been blabbing: he has told my Master.
1699		Farquhar Love and a Bottle II i: It must be as private as Devotion. No blabbing, unless a squalling Brat peeps out to tell Tales.
1725		Bailey (trans.) Erasmus’ Colloquies 198: If you should blab it out [...] I should lose a great many good Cullies.
1757		Smollett Reprisal I viii: One of the foolish fellows has blabbed that Miss Harriet is not your sister, but your mistress.
1772		G. Stevens ‘Mum’ Songs Comic and Satyrical 220: Ye Gossips who blab out the secrets of State.
1780		H. Cowley Belle’s Stratagem III iii: I am sure I would not blab.
1795		Sporting Mag. May VI 114/2: And, old Quibus come down for’t, or damme I’ll blab.
1811		J. Poole Hamlet Travestie I iv: marcellus: What news? – What said the Ghost? hamlet: You’ll blab. marcellus: Not I.
1817		M. Lewis 1 May in Journal of a West India Proprietor (1834) 400: The child was sent by her mistress [...] to hide some stolen ducks upon a distant property, and on her return blabbed out the errand.
1820		W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Consolation (1868) 140/1: This same Muse, a tell-tale drab, / On a past page has dar’d to blab.
1832		J.K. Paulding Westward Ho! II 155: Come, sit down here, and we’ll have a talk; a little piece of secret biography, for there’s nobody to blab here.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. IV 14: She’ll blab to the old man.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 68: Do you think he’ll blab if he’s caught?
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 383/1: There was never any blabbing. We wouldn’t do one another out of a farthing.
1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 151: I mean to know whether she’ll blab, or keep her mouth shut.
1886		M.E. Braddon Mohawks III 93: I believed in his discretion [...] now he has begun to blab to that silly wife of his, my confidence is destroyed for ever.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 266: Jim and I and Starlight were not likely to blab.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 8: Blab, to inform.
1897		Boy’s Own Paper 20 Nov. 123: How hard the temptation to blab what he knew.
1900		J. Conrad Lord Jim 118: ‘Did the fellow blab – or what?’ I asked.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 27 Jan. 1/1: Quack and Co. threaten the [...] patients with exposure if they blab to the hospital authorities.
1915		J. Buchan Thirty-Nine Steps (1930) 35: I’ll see that nobody blabs.
1926		Van Vechten Nigger Heaven 183: They won’t blab on you.
1938		X. Herbert Capricornia (1939) 22: Oscar was accused of that worst of all offences in Civil Service — Blabbing.
1948		K. Amis letter 25 Aug. in Leader (2000) 184: I have just done a ’phone call to Caton: ‘just stops them, what?’ But I won’t blab until the job is completed.
1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 14: Who’s going to go blabbing to that bunch of striped-pants bums?
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 39: Ah don want him blabbin’ tu Papa.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 195: He was blabbing all sorts of horribly incriminating things.
1984		Flame: a Life on the Game 140: I couldn’t prove to anyone that it wasn’t me who had blabbed to the police.
1993		R. Doyle Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha 160: My ma saw us and she blabbed to my da.
2000		Guardian Rev. 11 Feb. 5: DiCaprio is exiled from the community for having blabbed about its existence to other backpackers on the outside.
2006		P. Shannon Davey Darling 237: It’s that son of yours. Blabbing his arse off in court like he owned the place.

4. (Aus.) to boast.

1923

Gippsland Times (Vic.) 1 Oct. 5/3: Or per’aps some clever blighter / Cud make uv me a fighter; / But, er corse, not been a skiter / I do not wanter blab.