Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a fool, a simpleton, an idiot.

1549		T. Chaloner (trans.) Erasmus Praise of Folie (1509) 117: [W]hich quippie in waie of reproche is vsed against blockeheades of the verie sklendrest capacitee.
1555		J. Heywood Epigrams upon Proverbs cxliii: Stumble at a strawe, and leape over a blocke, / Such stumblers are blockheads, or else they do mocke.
1566		G. Gascoigne (trans.) Supposes II ii: Jesu, what a blockhead thou art!
1594		Nashe Terrors of the Night in Works III (1883–4) 258: The lumpishest blockhead that euer went vpon two legs.
1602		J. Cooke How A Man May Choose A Good Wife From A Bad Act I: O Asse, o Duns, o blockhead that hath left The plaine broad hie way.
1608		Machin & Markham Dumbe Knight I i: Sirra you chop logicke, blockhead.
1614		T. Tomkis Albumazar IV ii: Why, blockhead? Think’st to deceiue me too?
c.1621		Massinger & Fletcher Double Marriage V i: Whip me this foole to death; he is a blockhead.
1633		Ford ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore II iv: O, you think I am a blockhead, uncle.
1640		Fletcher Night-Walker III i: You blocke head.
1654		Witts Recreations Epigram No. 64: The title of block-head is his due.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 112: Thou know’st the Temper of the Block-head.
1673		T. Shadwell Epsom Wells II i: The methodical Block-head that is as regular as a Clock, and as little knows why he is so, is the man cut out by Nature and Fortune for business and government.
1681		Otway Soldier’s Fortune II i: I know I’m a blockhead for’t, and she’ll use me like a blockhead too.
1694		Congreve Double-Dealer IV ii: Your blockheads, like poor needy scoundrels, are forced to examine their stock.
1700		Farquhar Constant Couple III v: clinch.: The note! – what note? stand.: The letter, blockhead!
1707		Humours of a Coffee-House 17 Oct. 40: Whoever esteems them [...] proves himself such a Fanatical Blockhead.
1715		S. Centlivre Gotham Election I i: A Pox of the unpolish’d Blockhead.
1721		Penkethman’s Jests 15: The late Lord Dorset [...] was asking a certain Bishop why he conferr’d Orders on so many Blockheads.
1731		Proceedings at Sessions (City of London) Apr. 16/2: He said, her Husband was a Blockhead, and he himself was a Gentleman, and a Scholar, and talk’d Latin.
1732		‘An Irish Wedding’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 112: From Priests that in Latin to Blockheads do mutter / Good Lord deliver us.
1741		Witchcraft of Love 46: Blockhead! you can’t make a Blockhead o’ me.
1756		W. Toldervy Hist. of the Two Orphans I 37: Parson Drill muttered, sycophants! blockheads! parasites!
1763		Johnson in Boswell Life (1906) I 319: Why, Sir, in the formulary and statutory part of law, a plodding blockhead may excel; but in the ingenious and rational part of it a plodding blockhead can never excel.
1775		Sheridan Rivals (1776) II i: You blockhead, never say more than is necessary.
1781		Hicky’s Bengal Gaz. 12-19 May n.p.: Ye are a parcel of Blockheads from the first to the last of ye.
1784		Rambler’s Mag. July 256/1: I have the mortification to see my brother (who entre nous is a dry silly blockhead) caressed, while I am scarcely regarded.
1792		C. Dibdin ‘Life’s a Bubble’ Buck’s Delight 11: For if life is a flower, any blockhead may tell, / If you’d have it look fresh, you must moisten it well.
1801		M. Edgeworth Belinda (1994) 228: Walk those horses about, blockhead!
1812		W. Combe Doctor Syntax, Picturesque (1868) 85/1: Blockhead! and is it thus you treat / The men by whom you drink and eat?
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London I 109: Die, like noble blockheads, for their pains.
1832		Egan Bk of Sports 1832 20: He had shown himself little more than a Block-head, to suffer his conscience to be summoned into Court.
1838		J. Grant Sketches in London 64: You blundering blockhead.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 30 Apr. n.p.: the whip wants to know Why the tailor makes such a blockhead of himself.
1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 123: My blockhead of a fellow there seems to clash in angry opposition.
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Jan. 10/1: Constantly bickering with the people at head-Quarters, who he considers a regular set of blockheads.
1855		W.G. Simms Forayers 221: When a blockhead behaves after this fashion, there’s something in it.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 343: Have you no sense, blockhead?
1859		Bell’s Life in Tasmania 23 Aug. 3/6: ‘Lie still, blockhead’.
1860		E. Eden Semi-Attached Couple (1979) 151: There is that blockhead, La Grange, to make his ungrammatical remarks on us.
1868		Leeds Times 23 May 6/6: ‘Confound you, you blockhead!’ roared the captain.
1870		Sportsman (London) 27 Jan. 2/1: In Dumfries they appear to change their church service to suit the tastes of tho next blockhead.
1873		W.H. Thomes Bushrangers 85: ‘Fact of it is,’ continued his lordship [...] ‘the opposition persist in calling me a blockhead.’.
1879		Fayette Co. Herald (OH) 16 Jan. 1/6: In the well graded school the smart pupil gravitates to his proper place and the blockhead gravitates to his.
1881-2		T.B. Reed Fifth Form at St Dominic’s (1890) 140: ‘Oliver was always a plodding old blockhead’.
1887		H. Frederic Seth’s Brother’s Wife 384: It makes a man ashamed [...] to see th’ foolish ways these here blockheads git caught.
1891		H. Lawson ‘Ghost at the Second Bridge’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 164: You’d call the man a senseless fool,— / A blockhead or an ass,— / Who’d dare to say he saw the ghost.
1894		S. Crane in N.Y. Press 9 Dec. in Stallman (1966) 116: ‘For ten dollars I’d be tempted to let these two infernal blockheads have their duel.’.
1898		Regiment 30 Apr. 69/1: Pat called out ‘What do you sell here?’ ‘Blockheads,’ was the reply. Pat:. ‘Shure and you must do a moighty good trade, for there’s just two of you left’.
1900		Boy’s Own Paper 20 Oct. 38: Sarsons called him a blockhead.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘Clarion Call’ Voice of the City (1915) 196: You’ve had this murder case worked over by your staff of bright young blockheads.
1913		Marvel 9 Aug. 4: Well, ob all de soft and senseless blockheads —.
1928		M. West Pleasure Man (1997) II i: A blockhead throwin’ kisses to a wood-pile.
1934		H. Roth Call It Sleep (1977) 148: Ask that blockhead in uniform, how one escapes this jungle of stone and fabric.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1954		A. Petry Narrows 339: Empty the garbage cans, blockhead.
1961		F. Kohner Gidget Goes Hawaiian 96: I’m the world’s most giant blockhead.
1975		C. Dexter Last Bus to Woodstock 64: The illiteracy and incompetence of some poor blockhead of a typist.
1981		P. Reading ‘The Euphemisms’ in Tom O’Bedlam’s Beauties 42: Addle/Silly/Chuckle/Dunder/ Sap/Bone/Block/Thick/Muddle/Crack/ -Heads.
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 129: It was time for some recognition from those blockheads.