The Dillon tribune., 1881-05-07
re,kss1x blizzard.

The Nation says: I'VE received mum
BIER OF communications relative to The dcri.
walton and widespread Use Of tho word
blizzard. "a follows. The first is from
Baltimore: 'rhc statement made by you
on page 1874, that the word blizzard was in
use over fifty years ago in a sense different
from that sought to be affixed to tho word,
leads me to suppose that its etymology
may he traced by some one having tho
leisure. In this locality and the adjoining
counties, il is surname Of numerous fam.
lies, and our land records will show, think
numerous transfers to and from the name.
probably dating hack over n century. In a
! sketch Of one OF the name, born in 1899, in
the "B:ogr optical Cyclopeslia Of Mary land,
1t Is stated that the father, was born in this
locality in 1901, ami that the grandfather,
l ;aiah Blizzard, who lived here long before
that tim, was Of French Hugu-not descent
The next is from New Bloomfield, Per-
~ Co., Pennsylvania, and confirms in part
our Maine correspondent OF last week: 4
agree will, you that the etymology Of the
word 'blizzarl' must be sought elsewhere
than in the patois Of the French-Canaeiian
voyage,s. There has been an extensive
use Of the word in Pennsylvania for nanl
years, as witness the following: ~ A
drink OF any intoxicant generally applied
to whisky. Synonymous with the slang
"a slug" "a SMILE" IA jigger," ~ bumper "
Example,. Lets take "a blizzard" The
word has been used in this sense for up.
wards Of sixty years. a. Let it h. done.
A companion phrase with LET her rip
"Lct her hy.' Example: \ creditor
threatens t, bring suit against a dcbter who
believes he has defense to the claim. and
replies, "Lct her Blizzard; l owe Won moth
ing" Used Tor upward, Of thirty wears,
certainly. 81 To shoot; generally applied
to shotgun. Example: Il raised INV gun
and let Blizzard Used for like period us
last. ~ A sudden or unexpected storm.
This use was in existance as early rs 1880
in this Part Of the state. Charc, Mlburner>
watching their pits, would fear blizzard,
The word in ~, ~. and ~ sense is still
in use. In the ~ it has died out tor many
years. It was introduced here with char.
al.furnaces about the date above men,
toned e. +. H. writes from Iowa City
One Of our "old settlers tells me in the
winter Of 1899 10 he drove from Iowa City
to Dubuque. Eighteen miles Of the road
lay due north. The wind was n. W., driv.
ing the snow in their faces. lie could not
see the horses. H. held with out..retchetl
hands a buff .lo robe so rs to make Il screen
to shield the face Of the driver. lie says
that storm was called a "blizzard," ut that
time, as were similar storms And S. NJ.
c. from Keokuk, Iowa: For nearly forty
years heard the word "bl.zzard' quite
commonly used in this part of the W,>,, rs
BY Crockett in your note in No. $50. 1t
has never meant "a proscr" in this Western
use. las defined by Bartlett. but some sucl,
tremendous discharge as the old. fashioned
American muskct made. Il, not know
but believe the word meant, in the West,
discharge by the enormous old "Revo.
lutionary" and "lSI," muskct, and in time
came to be applied to our sweeping IVES.
ern storms Of mingled SNOW and hail, witt,
the accompanying driving Wind"