Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US) genuine, authentic, trustsworthy.

1902		C.L. Cullen More Ex-Tank Tales 56: This is the real dyed-in-the-wool, blown-in-the-bottle —.
1907		J. London Road 125: Truly, Skysail Jack, you were a tramp-royal [...] I take off my hat to you. You were ‘blowed-in-the-glass’ all right.
1912		J. London Smoke Bellew Pt 12 🌐 These is the real, blowed-in-the-glass, wild Indians.
1920		A. Baer Two & Three 3 Jan. [synd. col.] The alco-hallmark of the blown-in-the-bottle souse.
1923		M. Garahan Stiffs frontispiece: A ‘Blown-In-The-Glass’ Friend.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 31: blowed in the glass.-Genuine; to be trusted. From the old time liquor bottles and other containers, which had the name of the maker or the product blown in the glass to insure the quality.
1936		C. Drew ‘The Rival Shows’ in Bulletin 14 Oct. 39/1: We had a wrestler with us, a real blown-in-the-bottle, first-class mat- man.
1938		S.H. Holbrook Holy Old Mackinaw 130: More blown-in-the-bottle logger ballads seem to stem from Michigan and Wisconsin.
1954		J. Steinbeck Sweet Thursday (1955) 127: I tell you she’s a blowed-in-the-glass lady.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.
1962		J. Steinbeck Travels with Charley (1997) 4: Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the-glass bum relax.
2006		This Is York 🌐 The 45-year-old Mr Vines was also able to inject into his new job the determination of a blown-in-the-glass sportsman, but more of this later.