bois·ter·ous (boi st r-s, -strs)adj. 1. Rough and stormy; violent. 2. Loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline. See Synonyms at vociferous. [Middle English boistres, variant of boistous, rude, rough, perhaps from Old French boisteus, lame, limping, from boiste, knee joint.] bois ter·ous·ly adv.bois ter·ous·ness n. |
Boisterousness
hell on wheels Rowdy, riotous, wild, boisterous. The expression is said to have been commonly applied to towns that sprang up along the Union Pacific Railroad line during the 1860s because of the gunmen, gamblers, and prostitutes who inhabited them in such large numbers. The phrase has been in use since at least 1843.
He’s hell on wheels on Monday mornings. (J. Pearl, The Crucifixion of P. McCabe, 1966)
joy ride A reckless, high-speed excursion, often made in a borrowed or stolen car; a pleasant jaunt in an automobile or aircraft. This expression conjures up an image of exhilarated teenagers screeching through city intersections in high-powered hot rods. Modern use of the phrase, however, usually carries an implication of illegality.
A man who drove away two cars for a “joy ride” was fined 75 pounds. (Scottish Sunday Express, August, 1973)
raise Cain To behave in a boisterous and rowdy manner, to create a disturbance, to raise a ruckus; also to protest vigorously, to raise a hue and cry, to make a fuss. Most sources relate the expression to the Biblical fratricide, Cain, but make no attempt to explain his transition from agent to object. It may be that his name became associated with evil incarnate and thus came euphemistically to replace devil, once considered profane, so that raise the devil gave way to raise Cain which found favor because of its greater brevity and musicality. Since the first recorded American usage involves a pun, it is safe to assume that the expression was commonplace by that time.
Why have we every reason to believe that Adam and Eve were both rowdies? Because … they both raised Cain. (St. Louis Pennant, May, 1840)
| Noun | 1. | boisterousness - a turbulent and stormy state of the sea storminess - the state of being stormy; "he dreaded the storminess of the North Atlantic in winter" |
| 2. | boisterousness - the property of being noisy and lively and unrestrained noisiness, racketiness - the auditory effect characterized by loud and constant noise |
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