blat, n.1 SECOND EDITION 1989
orig. U.S.
A bleating or shrill sound.
1904 M. E. WALLER Wood-carver 71 Not a sound outside except..the thin blat of a sheep beneath the barn. 1925 Glasgow Herald 8 Sept. 6 A bold spirit fired off his gun, and the blat of the shot betrayed the cheat.
blat, n.2 SECOND EDITION 1989
slang (orig. U.S.).
Also blatt. [ad. G. blatt leaf, newspaper.]
A newspaper. Cf. BLADDER n. 6d.
1932 D. RUNYON in Collier's 21 Aug. 32/2 In fact, there is some mention of it in the blats. 1965 I. FLEMING Man with Golden Gun x. 130, I saw it reprinted in the American blatts. 1969 J. FREDMAN Fourth Agency xii. 120 Once the blats get hold of the story you're a ruined man. 1986 Times 29 Apr. 16/5 An otherwise bald and unconvincing interview on the telly or column in the blats.
blat, v. SECOND EDITION 1989
orig. and chiefly U.S.
Also blatt. [Imitative.]
1. intr. To bleat, or make similar sounds. Also fig., to talk noisily or impulsively. Hence {sm}blatting ppl. a.
1846 in W. K. NORTHALL Recoll. Yankee Hill (1850) 102 Your fellow-countrymen..are not allowed to emigrate north of the Columbia River, on account of a raging he-calf who is of bla-ting on the other side. 1884 MARK TWAIN Huck. Finn xxv. 248 He blatted along, and managed to inquire about pretty much everybody. 1888 San Francisco News Let. 4 Feb. (Farmer), One of these insects of an hour rears up and blatts. 1890 L. D'OYLE Notches 34 The poor blatting creatures were dragged over to the fire. 1902 KIPLING Traffics & Discov. (1904) 22 He'd wipe his long thin moustache..and blat off into a long a-aah. 1932 W. FAULKNER Light in Aug. (1933) xiii. 271 Others came out from town in racing and blatting cars. 1951 L. HOBSON Celebrity (1953) iv. 46 She has more self-control... I'd have blatted to the first customer. 1959 I. JEFFERIES 13 Days x. 151, I blatted up to the little shed [on a motor-bicycle].
2. trans. To blurt out; to emit (a shrill noise).
1879 HOWELLS Lady of Aroostook I. v. 50 If I have anything on my mind, I have to blat it right out. 1931 F. D. DAVISON Man-Shy (1932) xiii. 136 Calves blatted their shrill fear. 1942 R. CHANDLER High Window (1943) viii. 66 The radio..was still blatting the baseball game.