Green’s Dictionary of Slang

blown adj.

revealed.

1693		Congreve Old Bachelor V v: Your wife has been blown upon.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: blown upon seen by several … not blown upon, a secret piece of News or Poetry, that has not taken air, spick and span-new.
1722		Defoe Hist. of Colonel Jack (1723) 92: ‘As for that,’ says Will, ‘I cou’d Sell it well enough, if I had it, but I must not be seen any where among my old Acquaintances, for I am blown, and they will all betray me.’.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: blown upon divulged, seen by several, despised or slighted; Not blown upon, the contrary; secret, much set by, &c.
1737		H. Carey Dragon of Wantley I iii: By Jove! I’m blown. Zounds!
1741		Ordinary of Newgate Account of the Malefactors executed at Tyburn 18th March 1740 part II 8: When you are out upon Business, you may be smoak’d, and then perhaps all may be blown.
1751		W. Kenrick Falstaff’s Wedding (1766) I v: Poor blown Jack!
1760		Foote The Minor 81: Sir, Sir, we are all in the wrong box, my scheme is blowen up.
1773		Foote Bankrupt III i: Then the business shall be blown up in an instant.
1774		Foote Cozeners in Works (1799) II 191: The game is up – we are blown – make off as fast as you can.
1786		J. O’Keeffe Wicklow Mountains 18: Open my letters! then all is blown indeed.
1796		T. Morton Way to Get Married in Inchbold (1808) XXV 71: Confound Mr. Caustic! My bankruptcy will be blown, and then —.
1821		W.T. Moncrieff Tom and Jerry II vi: ’Tis the blunt that does it – but stow magging, Tom, or we shall get blown.
1827		P. Cunningham New South Wales II 232: If the robbery is likely to be blown, they will hide a portion of the plunder.
1832		Spirit of the Times (NY) 4 Feb. 3/1: A certain gentleman [...] was completely ‘blown’ and ‘cut’ as decidely vulgar.
1834		Marryat Peter Simple (1911) 135: In short, Mr. Simple, I was blown upon.
1838		W.N. Glascock Land Sharks and Sea Gulls II 86: Some o’ your precious, cursed, inquisitive sarvants have gone, an’ been, an’ took, an’ prigged the paper; and we’re blown—blown to a sartinty!
1838		Dickens Oliver Twist (1966) 137: ‘I’m afraid [...] that he may do something which will get us into trouble.’ ‘That’s very likely,’ returned Sikes with a malicious grin. ‘You’re blowed upon, Fagin.’.
1852		Bell’s Life in Sydney 13 Nov. 1/2: ‘Blown by —’ cried the latter with a fearful oath; ‘the the Peelers are on us’.
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Sept. 98/2: [S]he made her way to Europe, having got rather too extensively blown in this country.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 342: If we ain’t minus in less than no time we’re blowed upon.
1861		M.E. Braddon Trail of the Serpent 232: Whether he thought as how something was up and he was blown [...] I can’t take it upon myself to say.
1877		J. Greenwood Dick Temple II 66: The game’s blown, my girl.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 77: If they heard about the job being blown or the police set on our track, they were to wire to one of the border townships we had to pass.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) VIII 1530: Too many knew of it [i.e. a peep hole] evidently, and it no doubt was ‘blown upon’.
1968		New Yorker 6 Apr. 38: A combination tobacconist’s shop and foreign-agents’ ‘drop,’ which was ‘blown’ when a quisling agent found himelf smoking a chat of harbor defences.
1981		G.V. Higgins Rat on Fire (1982) 27: You come jumpin’ in now with your bowels in an uproar, the case is blown.
1986		A. Bleasdale No Surrender 17: I’ve been blown, I’ve been blown.
1986		R.G. Barrett Godson 22: ‘[H]e legs it rather than have his smother blown’.
1992		G. Disher Paydirt [ebook] His cover had been blown.
2000		Indep. Rev. 18 May 16: An account of how the IRA managed to tap British army phone lines for months, and how the operation was blown.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 278: The real old bill [...] come down here in cavalry-charge mode and the swindle’s blown.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 39: Marilyn vamoosed. It’s Blown Tail #1.