The Blue Boar Lane (St. Nicholas, Leicester) is so named from the cognizance of Richard III., because he slept there the night before the battle of Bosworth Field.

BOAR OF ARDENNES (The Wild), in French Le Sanglier des Ardennes (2 syl.), was Guillaume comte de la Marck, so called because he was as fierce as the wild boar he delighted to hunt.  The character is introduced by sir W. Scott in Quentin Durward, under the name of “William count of la Marck.”

BOB’ADIL, an ignorant, shallow bully, thoroughly cowardly, but thought by his dupes to be an amazing hero.  He lodged with Cob (the water-carrier) and his wife Tib.  Master Stephen was greatly struck with his “dainty oaths,” such as “By the foot of Pharaoh!” “Body of Caesar!” “As I am a gentleman and a soldier!” His device to save the expense of a standing army is inimitable for its conceit and absurdity: 

“I would select 19 more to myself throughout the land; gentlemen they should be, of a good spirit and able constitution.  I would choose them by an instinct,... and I would teach them the special rules ... till they could play [fence] very near as well as myself.  This done, say the enemy were 40,000 strong, we 20 would ... challenge 20 of the enemy; ... kill them; challenge 20 more, kill them; 20 more, kill them too; ... every man his 10 a day, that’s 10 score ... 200 a day; five days, a thousand; 40,000, 40 times 5,200 days; kill them all.”—­Ben Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, iv. 7 (1598).

Since his [Henry Woodward, 1717-1777] time the part of “Bobadil” has never been justly performed.  It may be said to have died with him.

—­Dr. Doran.

The name was probably suggested by Bobadilla first governor of Cuba, who superseded Columbus sent home in chains on a most frivolous charge.  Similar characters are “Metamore” and “Scaramouch” (Moliere); “Parolles” and “Pistol” (Shakespeare); “Bessus” (Beaumont and Fletcher). (See also BASILISCO, BOROUGHCLIFF, CAPTAIN BRAZEN, CAPTAIN NOLL BLUFF, SIR PETRONEL FLASH, SACRIPANT, VINCENT DE LA ROSE, etc.)

BOBOLINKON.  Christopher Pearse Cranch calls the bobolink: 

  Still merriest of the merry birds, and
  Pied harlequins of June.

  O, could I share without champagne
  Or muscadel, your frolic;
  The glad delirium of your joy,
  Your fun unapostolic;
  Your drunken jargon through the fields,
  Your bobolinkish gabble,
  Your fine Anacreontic glee,
  Your tipsy reveller’s babble!

Christopher Pearse Cranch, The Bird and the Bell (1875).

BODACH GLAY or “Grey Spectre,” a house demon of the Scotch, similar to the Irish banshee.

BODLEY FAMILY, an American household, father, mother, sisters, and brothers, whose interesting adventures at home and abroad are detailed by Horace E. Scudder in The Bodley Books (1875-1887).