[Ads-l] bugger

Joan Hall jdhall at WISC.EDU
Tue Jul 12 17:35:25 UTC 2016


Sorry—I didn’t realize that the emailed entry would not be visible without a subscription. Here is the relevant sense:


2 rarely bug: A child, esp an impish one—freq used affectionately.
Hide quotations<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/view/dare/ID_00006472>
contains audiocontains DARE survey quotes

  *   1892 DN<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_919> 1.235 MI,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=MI> Booger [bᴜgɚ]. . . Used playfully in speaking to or of a baby or small child.
  *   1894 DN<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_919> 1.340 wCT,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=wCT> [bʌgɚ] . . is a harmless word meaning much the same as “chap” or as “tacker” [=small child] . . and used by schoolgirls and all sorts of people who certainly never attach any other meaning to it.
  *   1905 DN<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_919> 3.60 NE,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=NE> Booger.
  *   1908 DN<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_919> 3.292 eAL, wGA,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=eAL,%20wGA> Booger.
  *   1912 DN<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_919> 3.566 cNY,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=cNY> Booger.
  *   1915 DN<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_919> 4.181 swVA,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=swVA> Bugger. . . Terms of endearment to a child.
  *   1935 Sandoz Jules<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=S#bibl_11063> 395 wNE<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=wNE> (as of early 1900s), Jules came up with the interested infant held out awkwardly before him. . . “By golly, somebody come and take the bugger,” he would beg.
  *   1938 Rawlings Yearling<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=R#bibl_10662> 420 FL,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=FL> Well, if I was a scrawny little big-eyed booger like you, I’d stay home.
  *   1941 LANE<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=K#bibl_8405> Map 379 NH,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=NH> Terms properly applied to a mischievous or naughty child but frequently used as affectionate names without any connotation of reproach. . . [bʌ˅gə].
  *   1946 PADS<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=A#bibl_3616> 6.7 eNC,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=eNC> Booger.
  *   1950 PADS<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=A#bibl_3616> 14.16 SC,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=SC> Booger.
  *   1950 WELS<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=C#bibl_4822> (Nicknames and affectionate names meaning a young child: “He’s a healthy little _____.”) 1 Inf, cWI,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=cWI> Bug.
  *   c1960 Wilson Coll.<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=W#bibl_13055> csKY<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=csKY>, Booger. . . Term of affection. “Come here, you little booger, and hug your grandma’s neck.”
  *   1965–70 DARE<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_846>
Qu. Z12, Nicknames and joking words meaning ‘a small child’: “He’s a healthy little _____.”
54 Infs, chiefly Sth, S Midl,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=chiefly%20Sth,%20S%20Midl> Booger; 38 Infs, scattered,<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=scattered> Bugger; AL53, KS10, MO35, OK1, SC3, Booger; [Of all Infs responding to Qu. Z12, 43% were male; of those giving these responses, 52% were male]
Qu. Z16, A small child who is rough, misbehaves, and doesn’t obey
Infs MD41, MO16, Bugger; LA6, TX4, Bad little booger; VA42, Booger; AR55, Hard-headed little booger.

  *   1966 DARE Tape<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_850>
     *
     *   AL13
Listen<http://www.daredictionary.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/audio?file=bugger_n%281%29_B2_AL13.mp3>
, They’re cute lil’ ol’ buggers [ˈbʌgəz].

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