Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(usu. UK juv.) to cry, to burst into tears; thus blubbing, crying.

1854		F. Smedley Harry Coverdale’s Courtship 104: Ally [...] looked precious pale and interesting, and like to blub.
1880		G.R. Sims ‘Fallen by the Way’ Ballads of Babylon 3: Don’t be a fool and blub, Jim, it’s a darned good thing for you.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 24 June 1/4: We sing a song of pending flop; / We wail a wail of blubbing.
1897		Kipling ‘Slaves of the Lamp — Part I’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 61: Stalky went to his study and pretended to blub.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘A Thinker’ Sporting Times 1 Sept. 1/4: But a small thing like that doesn’t make Billy ‘blub’.
1901		A. Perry [perf. Marie Lloyd] William ’Enry Sarnders 🎵 I broke down and started ‘blubbing’ like a silly sop.
1911		Gem 23 Sept. iii: There’s one of ’em blubbing already.
1918		A. Brazil Patriotic Schoolgirl 28: ‘For goodness' sake don't begin to blub!’.
1922		E. Raymond Tell England (1965) 27: I think that friend of yours is going to blub.
1946		(con. 1912) B. Marshall George Brown’s Schooldays 72: Abinger cut his knee open and started to blub.
1959		A. Sinclair My Friend Judas (1963) 161: She really began to howl. You’d think they’d take away your tears with your youth and your sight. No, no, you just keep right on blubbing when you’re blind.
1966		P. White Solid Mandala (1976) 280: Arthur continued to blub a little to show his brother he needed him.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 39: Often he came home to Norah and knew from her eyes she had been blubbing.
1989		T. Blacker Fixx 220: I left her blubbing in the honeymoon suite.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 369: I have a refreshing little sob and feel much the better for it. I grizzle and blub. I weep it out.
1998		Observer 27 Dec. 32: The canonisation of reformed alcoholic footballers – once they’ve spontaneously blubbed at a news conference.
2001		N. Barlay Hooky Gear 78: Suddenly I’m blubbin. Which is to say tears overtake me.
2021		P Howard Braywatch 153: ‘Stop fucking blubbing’.
2021		C. Hammer Opal Country 268: ‘Couldn’t bear the thought of him blubbing’.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 152: He took his punishment like a man. He didn’t blub.