What is the etymology of "bugger-lugs"?

I have recently heard the phrase bugger-lugs used to refer to a person present, as in "How much do I owe you, bugger-lugs?". I have also heard it used to refer to a moderately mischievous child ("what have you been up to, bugger-lugs?"), and I can also remember my mother using the phrase to refer to the cat, in the same way as the mischievous child.

But does anyone know where the phrase comes from? I have tried a search and found the results here, which doesn't shed much light on the matter. Green's Dictionary of Slang suggests it is an affectionate term of address, usually among men, and hints at a naval origin, but otherwise sheds no light on the matter.

Edit following Hugo's link produces possibly an alternative meaning:-

"Well known in 40s / 50s Lancashire. For many years I thought it was 'bug-a-lugs', never having seen it written ... gross or corpulent habit' from fusty + lug.('lug' in the sense of heavy or slow) Perhaps from buggy-lugs or bugs-in-lugs?"

Solution 1:

The Urban Dictionary explains it thus:

Consider the two parts of this phrase,

bugger: (verb) to sodomize

lugs: (noun) ears

Put these together and you get bugger-lugs: ears of a size large enough to afford good grip while being sodomized.

I should add that I've heard this phrase my entire life, and never as a term of affection. In my experience (Australian English) it's a playful insult, usually aimed at a small child.

Solution 2:

I am 54 years old while writing this. I was born and raised in Scotland and have lived here all my life.

Buggerlugs was an expression used to describe a child as a third party to another adult. It is definitely affectionate and has nothing to do with buggery.

It may have some etymology in the word 'buggered' - as in (UK) broken, and obviously lugs which are (Scots) ears.

It is a playful expression and no-one ever saw any harm in it. My grandmother - born in 1910 and a very proper, protestant woman used it and she never used foul language.

It would be used such as "You'd better take buggerlugs with you. She doesn't like to miss out."

It could also be used to describe a family pet. 'Buggerlugs hasn't been out yet. He's sittin' there with his legs crossed.'

It could (marginally) be used by one man to another when describing a male superior (military rank/landowner/manager etc) "You'd better not let buggerlugs see you doing that; he'll have your guts for garters."

It could also be used to describe an inferior (apprentice) as in, 'It was running fine until buggerlugs here pushed the stop button and shut it down.'

Mostly though it was a harmless affectionate expression widely used, very innocently, to describe a child or pet.

Solution 3:

My apologies for the paucity of my information in Green's Dictionary of Slang / Chambers Slang Dictionary. I remain convinced that it is essentially affectionate. As regards its use in Lancashire, I have no doubt it was, and elsewhere too, but even if it was originally dialectal (i.e. a regional use) it must have been a 20th century creation, since it doesn't appear in Joseph Wright's English Dialect Dictionary (1905). If anything, the phrase was popularised by its rhyming assonance.

Might I also suggest that the reference to sodomy is a confusion by the writer with 'bugger's grips', which refer to sideburns / sideboards and which term does indeed convey that imagery.

Solution 4:

I found this as definition #4 here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Buggerlugs and I think it stands a better chance of being the correct or most appropriate etymology than some of the references above.

An affectionate term for a child, particularly when it isn't listening to the adult, the implication being that the child's ears (lugs) have been fucked (or buggered) and can no longer hear as a result. "Oy, buggerlugs, are you listening?"

I was called this many times as a child back in the UK. It could be from the North (Yorkshire or Northumberland).

Solution 5:

I have memories of the expression "Boggerlugs" or "Buggerlugs" in the English midlands back in the 50's. It was used extensively in our neighbourhood. It was used as a tone of endearment when referring to a mischievous young family member: "You're such a boggerlugs". Indeed, I use it today when referring to a mischievous grandchild, it was always used with a smile on the face and never used as a re-dress or ticking off.