Theverb is derived from LateMiddle Englishbloberen,bluberen(“to bubble, seethe”);[1] and thenoun from LateMiddle Englishblober,bluber(“bubble; bubbling water; foaming waves; fish or whale oil; entrails, intestines; (medicine) pustule”),[2] both probablyonomatopoeic, representing the movement or sound of a bubbling liquid, or the movement of lips forming bubbles (comparebleb andblob, thought to be similarlyimitative). As both the verb and noun are attested in the 14th century, it is difficult to tell which one developed first; theOxford English Dictionary suggests that the noun may be derived from the verb.[3][4]
Verbsense 1.2 (“to cause (one’s face) to disfigure or swell through crying”) is influenced byblubber (adjective).[3]
HereBliſil ſighed bitterly; upon vvhichVVeſtern, vvhoſe Eyes vvere full of Tears at the praiſe ofSophia,blubbered out, 'Don't be Chicken-hearted, for ſhat ha her, d—n me, ſhat ha her, if ſhe vvas tvventy Times as good.'
AsGod sees the water in the spring in the veins of the earth, before it bubble upon the face of the earth; so God sees tears in the heart of a man, before theyblubber his face; God hears the tears of that sorrowful soul, which for sorrow cannot shed tears.
[S]he haſtily retired, taking vvith her her little Girl, vvhoſe eyes vvere all overblubbered at the melancholy Nevvs ſhe heard ofJones, vvho uſed to call her his little VVife, and not only gave her many Playthings, but ſpent vvhole Hours in playing vvith her himſelf.
The opening of the first grammar-school was the opening of the first trench against monopoly in church and state; the first row of trammels and pothooks which the little Shearjashubs and Elkanahs blotted andblubbered across their copy-books, was the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.
A figurative use, likening words written untidily in copybooks to tears streaking a face.
Looke on this tree, vvhichblubbereth Amber gum / vvhich ſeemes to ſpeak to thee, though it be dumb, / VVhich being ſenceles blocks, as thou do'ſt ſee, / VVeepe at my vvoes, that thou might'ſt pitty mee:[…]
VVhere are you, vvife? myCelia? vvhat,blubbering? / Come, drye thoſe teares, I thinke, thou thought'ſt mee in earneſt?
1642,[Cresacre Moore], “The Pious Home-employmente of Sir Thomas Mores; and His Godly Councels Giuen to His Wyfe and Children.”, inThe Life and Death of Sr.Thomas Moore,[…],[London?]:[s.n.],→OCLC, section 4,pages135–136:
Euen as a mother ſendeth forth her childe to ſchoole vvith fayre vvords and promiſes, that hath ſlept too long in the morning, and therefore feareth the rodde, vvhen he vveepeth andblubbereth ſhe promiſeth him, all vvill be vvell, becauſe it is not ſo late as he imagineth,[…] euen ſo, manie Paſtours of ſoules ſpeake pleaſing things to their ſheepe that are riche and delicate, they promiſe them, vvhen they are dying, and feare hell, that all things ſhall be vvell vvith them,[…]
VVhen he heard me pronounce theſe vvords in our ovvn language, he leaped upon me in a tranſport of joy, hung about my neck, kiſſed me from ear to ear, andblubbered like a great ſchool-boy vvho has been vvhipt.
They knew that the wall stood and the house was saved, and old Sam wasblubbering over old Captain Joe Dickson lying spent almost to death on the veranda where he had been carried.
Sense 2.1 (“to cry or weep freely and noisily”) is generally used to suggest that a person is crying in an uncontrolled and embarrassing manner, and that the observer finds this unbecoming.[3]
There was a most Monstrous Whale: / He had no Skin, he had no Tail. / When he tried to Spout, that Great Big Lubber, / The best he could do was Jiggle hisBlubber.
The first barrels of crude fetched $18 (around $450 at today's prices). It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whaleblubber.
1877, Charles W[inslow] Hall, “A Change of Base—Building a Snow-hut—The View from the Berg—A Strange Meeting”, inAdrift in the Ice-fields, Boston, Mass.:Lee and Shepard; New York, N.Y.: Charles T. Dillingham,→OCLC,page257:
There were hundred of slaughtered seals, and it was evident that, as far as the eye could reach, the work of death had been complete. Still something had occurred to prevent the hunters from securing their rich booty, for huge piles of skins, with their adheringblubber, were scattered over the ice, and near one was planted firmly in the floe a boat-hook, with a small flag at the top.
1834, [Frederick Marryat], chapter II, inJacob Faithful[…], volume III, London: Saunders and Otley,[…],→OCLC,page23:
You know, Jacob, that the North Seas are full of these animals—you cannot imagine the quantity of them; the sailors call themblubbers, because they are composed of a sort of transparent jelly, but the real name I am told is Medusæ, that is, the learned name.
Fassmann gives dolorous clippings from theLeyden Gazette, all in ablubber of tears, according to the then fashion, but full of impertinent curiosity withal.
[T]hree of the boys, of whom Mr. Hector was sometimes one, used to come in the morning as his humble attendants, and carry him[Johnson] to school.[…] The purfly, sand-blind lubber andblubber, with his open mouth, and face of bruised honeycomb; yet already dominant, imperial, irresistible!
It was really emotional. I am ablubber at the best of times. I had only been there for 18 months and found it upsetting so it was really hard for the people that had been there for 18 years.
As an auctioneer, you tend to come into people's lives when they are going through an awful lot, and it is very difficult not to get emotionally involved. You feel responsible for helping them to achieve their goal, and that's quite a weight to carry on your shoulders. I am ablubber at the best of times – it doesn't take a lot to set me off!
1677 July 5–8 (Gregorian calendar),The London Gazette, number1211, In the Savoy[London]: Tho[mas] Newcomb,→OCLC,page[2], column 2:
Henry Blomfield Grocer inBungay inSuffolk, about 30 years of age, of a middle ſtature, round viſag'd, of a ruddy complexion, having fullblubber lips very remarkable, ſhort brovvn hair curling at the ends, on a ſad gray horſe 14 hands high, did on VVedneſday evening the 20 of this inſtantJune, leave his Family, and run avvay vvith a Sum of Mony in tvvo black leather Bags. VVhoſoever ſhall diſcover the ſaidHenry Blomfeild,[sic] ſo as to be apprehended, and ſhall give notice to Mr.John Uffing at theGreen Dragon inBiſhopſgate-ſtreet, ſhall have five pounds revvard.
And what like is the Nubian slave, who comes ambassador on such an errand from the Soldan?[…] with black skin, a head curled like a ram's, a flat nose, andblubber lips—ha, worthy Sir Henry?
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, Oxford:Oxford University Press, December 2024.
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