bluff, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

bluff v.

[20C use is SE poker jargon: ‘To impose upon (an opponent) as to the value of one’s hand of cards, by betting heavily upon it, speaking or gesticulating or otherwise acting in such a way as to make believe that it is stronger than it is, so as to induce him to “throw up” his cards and lose his stake, rather than run the risk of betting against the bluffer’ (OED); ult. a late 17C Und. term + ? link to SE bluff, a blinker for a horse]

to confuse, to mislead or deter by a show of confidence or superiority; to fob off.

a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795) n.p.: bluff to look big, to bluster.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1821		Flash Dict.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 6: Bluff – to bluster, look big.
1837		A. Greene Glance at N.Y. II v: Sykesy tried, but I bluffed him off.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1835].
1848		B.A. Baker Glance at N.Y. [play script] Lize: Syksey tried, but I bluffed him off — he’s got to look a little more gallus, like my Mose, afore he can commence to shine.
1850		‘Ned Buntline’ G’hals of N.Y. 16: There aint no use in tryin’ to bluff it off. [Ibid.] 135: In the belief that he had ‘bluffed off’ the b’hoy’s idea of ever getting back his money.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 9: BLUFF, to turn aside, stop, or excuse.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 110/1: This Joe said in an off-handed sort of a way, as a ‘bluff;’ but Artful wasn’t to be ‘bluffed’ so easily.
1870		The Tailors’ Strike in Darkey Drama 5 33: I’ll jess bluff him out of his boots!
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Jan. 8/3: A rank weed our hero’s puffing, / While he tells how he’s been ‘bluffing’ / Some blind hawker of his fruit.
1882		Omaha Dly Bee (NE) 12 July 7/2: My friend [...] said, ‘You are a fool. Didn’t I tell you to back Morgan? He is booked to win, sure.’ This bluffed me off. It took the pluck out of me.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Mar. 18/4: We are going, Billy Dalley, / We are going, not for long; / Just admit you ‘bluffed’ a bit, / On cards not over-strong.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 10: Bluff, to bluster.
1899		J. Flynt Tramping with Tramps 252: We English fellers know how to bluff. We’ve been bluffin’ the world now for a good many years.
1907		Gem 23 Mar. 14: They’ve bluffed us good an’ fine, boss.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 273: Perhaps he could bluff it out on his appearance, delay the game for the single moment necessary for him to wing his way to the street.
1923		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 28 Sept. 13/5: Mr Lloyd george will find that he is no more able to ‘bluff’ the people of Britain than he was to ‘bluff’ their French Allies.
1924		‘Digit’ Confessions of a Twentieth Century Hobo 141: Neither of you could bluff a blind man for more than a minute that you are not girls.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 212: He didn’t know how much Sammy and Arthur knew. They might be trying to bluff the boy into giving himself away.
1943		Baker ‘Influence of American Sl. on Australia’ in AS XVIII:4 253: The Sydney Telegraph July 14, 1936 n.p.: palmed off on the public as Americanisms current in Australia: [...] bluff.
1948		‘Josephine Tey’ Franchise Affair (1954) 131: I realize now he was bluffing them we were police.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 179: ‘Suppose he won’t stay blackmailed?’ he asked. ‘Blackmail? Who said any bloody thing about blackmail?’ ‘Suppose he won’t stay bluffed?’.
1956		R.T. Hopkins Banker Tells All 130: Many people who ‘bluff’ for a living, such as cheap-jack auctioneers, racing twisters and flash fellows, find my grafted stones are cheap.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 110: It was too late; I had to bluff. I cool-walked into El Viejo’s and slapped skin all round. ‘What’s shakin’?’ I asked, like I didn’t know.
2001		N. Barlay Hooky Gear 245: She grin better, better an bigger, grin an bluff them right out. Bluff the muffs.

In compounds

bluff artist (n.) [-artist sfx]

an insincere person, a confidence trickster.

1910		Eve. Bulletin (HI) 10 Oct. 1/5: A wireless has been sent over to Captain Fetter [...] asking him to lay the bluff artist by the heels.
1939		J. Weidman What’s In It For Me? 268: This guy Terkel is just a big bluff artist.
1946		Partly Debates (NZ) June-July 671: I have known many men in Australia and in New Zealand, but I never knew a greater ‘bluff artist’ than the leader of the Opposition.

bluff stakes (n.)

(Aus.) a deceitful attempt to influence someone else’s conduct.

1918		Aussie (France) 8 Oct. 14/1: I’ve noticed that those clever Shrewdies always come gutzers at the finish. They find the bluff stakes so dead easy, so they think, that they become careless.
1924		(con. WWI) A.G. Pretty Gloss. of Sl. [...] in the A.I.F. 1921–1924 (rev. t/s) n.p.: bluff-stakes. A deceitful or mala fide attempt to influence the conduct of another.

In phrases

bluff the rats (v.) [SE rats; they will thus ‘leave a sinking ship’]

to spread panic.

1895		Hartlepool Mail 26 Jan. n.p.: To plant myself outside a shop and try and bluff the rats, / By droppin’ little ’ints abart th misses and the brats.
1923		J. Manchon Le Slang.

on the bluff

(Aus.) using influence or persuasive talk to avoid payment (e.g. for a meal).

1885

Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Aug. 13/3: We don’t mind saying that we also had essayed, upon this national occasion of festivity, to exercise our molars ‘on the bluff.’.