Bobby dazzler? Exactly what does it mean & where does it come from?
Bobby dazzler means 'a striking or exciting person, especially in their dress'. I believe it to be from the northern counties of England. It is certainly still used here in Yorkshire.
The OED has: "1866 - Morgan-rattlers... In Cornwall the word is frequently applied to things that are particularly striking or excellent of their kind. What a Lancashire man would sometimes call a 'regular bobby-dazzler', a Cornishman would call a 'regular morgan-rattler'."
I googled a bit more about "Morgan Rattler" which turns out to be a venerable fiddler's tune from the North, but migrating to Scotland and Ireland and the U.S. There's even a definition ("a loaded club") at http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/MOO_MORM.htm
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