bowsy

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English

Etymology 1

Adjective

bowsy (comparative bowsier, superlative bowsiest)

Obsolete spelling of boozy.
- 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “ The Tenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. , London: Printed for Jacob Tonson , →OCLC:
  In his cups the bowsy poet sings.

Etymology 2

Probably from above, from being applied to drunkards.

Alternative forms

bowsie

Noun

bowsy (plural bowsies)

(Ireland, colloquial) an unsavoury and unreliable (usually male) layabout.
Synonyms: gurrier, gouger, lout, scanger, ruffian
- 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 1]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, , →OCLC:
  —The mockery of it, he said contentedly, secondleg they should be. God knows what poxy bowsy left them off.

Further reading

Eric Partridge (1961) “boosy”, in A Dictionary of the Underworld, New York: Bonanza Books, page 63

Anagrams

bwoys, sybow

Wikious

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