The meaning of the phrase
Cross-eyed or squinty.
What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Boss eyed’?
This first appears in the 19th century. It is defined in John Camden Hotten’s A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words, 1869 as:
“Boss-eyed - a person with one eye, or rather with one eye injured”.
The 1887 edition of Notes and Queries says - “To boss is schoolboy slang for ‘to miss’.”
Historical trend
“Boss - eyed” in printed material over time
Source: Google Books Ngrams (1880–2020).
Sources
- John Camden Hotten, A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words (1869): boss-eyed · defines the term
- Notes and Queries, 1887 · cited for the sense of the verb 'boss'
The books behind this page
The reference work this entry draws on, if you want to read further.
A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words
John Camden Hotten
1859 · 294 pages
Cited 22 times across this site
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