What is "blue peter"

Blue \Blue\ (bl[=u]), a. [Compar. Bluer (bl[=u]"[~e]r); superl. Bluest.] [OE. bla, blo, blew, blue, livid, black, fr. Icel.bl[=a]r livid; akin to Dan. blaa blue, Sw. bl[*a], D. blauw, OHG. bl[=a]o, G. blau; but influenced in form by F. bleu, from OHG. bl[=a]o.]

1. Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it, whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue as a sapphire; blue violets. ``The blue firmament.''
   --Milton.

2. Pale, without redness or glare, -- said of a flame; hence, of the color of burning brimstone, betokening the presence of ghosts or devils; as, the candle burns blue; the air was blue with oaths.

3. Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue.

4. Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as, thongs looked blue. [Colloq.]

5. Severe or over strict in morals; gloom; as, blue and sour religionists; suiting one who is over strict in morals; inculcating an impracticable, severe, or gloomy mortality; as, blue laws.

6. Literary; -- applied to women; -- an abbreviation of bluestocking. [Colloq.] The ladies were very blue and well informed. --Thackeray. Blue asbestus. See Crocidolite. Blue black, of, or having, a very dark blue color, almost black. Blue blood. See under Blood. Blue buck (Zo["o]l.), a small South African antelope ( Cephalophus pygm[ae]us); also applied to a larger species ( [AE]goceras leucoph[ae]us); the blaubok. Blue cod (Zo["o]l.), the buffalo cod. Blue crab (Zo["o]l.), the common edible crab of the Atlantic coast of the United States ( Callinectes hastatus). Blue curls (Bot.), a common plant ( Trichostema dichotomum), resembling pennyroyal, and hence called also bastard pennyroyal. Blue devils, apparitions supposed to be seen by persons suffering with delirium tremens; hence, very low spirits. ``Can Gumbo shut the hall door upon blue devils, or lay them all in a red sea of claret?'' --Thackeray. Blue gage. See under Gage, a plum. Blue gum, an Australian myrtaceous tree ( Eucalyptus globulus), of the loftiest proportions, now cultivated in tropical and warm temperate regions for its timber, and as a protection against malaria. The essential oil is beginning to be used in medicine. The timber is very useful. See Eucalyptus. Blue jack, Blue stone, blue vitriol; sulphate of copper. Blue jacket, a man-of war's man; a sailor wearing a naval uniform. Blue jaundice. See under Jaundice. Blue laws, a name first used in the eighteenth century to describe certain supposititious laws of extreme rigor reported to have been enacted in New Haven; hence, any puritanical laws. [U. S.] Blue light, a composition which burns with a brilliant blue flame; -- used in pyrotechnics and as a night signal at sea, and in military operations. Blue mantle (Her.), one of the four pursuivants of the English college of arms; -- so called from the color of his official robes. Blue mass, a preparation of mercury from which is formed the blue pill. --McElrath. Blue mold or Blue mould, the blue fungus ( Aspergillus glaucus) which grows on cheese. --Brande & C. Blue Monday,

   1. a Monday following a Sunday of dissipation, or itself given to dissipation (as the Monday before Lent).

   2. a Monday considered as depressing because it is a workday in contrast to the relaxation of the weekend. Blue ointment (Med.), mercurial ointment. Blue Peter (British Marine), a blue flag with a white square in the center, used as a signal for sailing, to recall boats, etc. It is a corruption of blue repeater, one of the British signal flags. Blue pill. (Med.)

      1. A pill of prepared mercury, used as an aperient, etc.

      2. Blue mass. Blue ribbon.

         1. The ribbon worn by members of the order of the Garter; -- hence, a member of that order.

         2. Anything the attainment of which is an object of great ambition; a distinction; a prize. ``These [scholarships] were the
            --blue ribbon of the college.''
            --Farrar.

   3. The distinctive badge of certain temperance or total abstinence organizations, as of the
      --Blue ribbon Army.

      Blue ruin, utter ruin; also, gin. [Eng. Slang]
      --Carlyle.

      Blue spar (Min.), azure spar; lazulite. See Lazulite.

      Blue thrush (Zo["o]l.), a European and Asiatic thrush ( Petrocossyphus cyaneas).

      Blue verditer. See Verditer.

      Blue vitriol (Chem.), sulphate of copper, a violet blue crystallized salt, used in electric batteries, calico printing, etc.

      Blue water, the open ocean.

      Big Blue, the International Business Machines corporation. [Wall Street slang.] PJC

      To look blue, to look disheartened or dejected.

      True blue, genuine and thorough; not modified, nor mixed; not spurious; specifically, of uncompromising Presbyterianism, blue being the color adopted by the Covenanters.

      For his religion . . . 'T was Presbyterian, true blue.
      --Hudibras.

n. (context nautical English) A blue signal flag with a white rectangle in the centre, signifying "P". When flown alone, indicates that a ship is ready to sail, requiring all crew members and passengers to return on board.

n. a blue flag with a white square in the center indicates that the vessel is ready to sail

Blue Peter is a Canadian new wave synthpop band founded in 1978 in Markham, Ontario by Chris Wardman and Paul Humphrey. In their heyday, Blue Peter opened for major international acts such as the Police and Simple Minds. The video for "Don't Walk Past", directed by Rob Quartly, was No. 85 on MuchMusic's top videos of the century list, and was played on MTV in the United States, in spite of the lack of American record distribution for the band. The band continues to perform, on occasion.

Blue Peter is a British children's television programme, shown on the CBBC television channel. It first aired in 1958 and is the longest-running children's TV show in the world. Although the show has a nautical title and theme, its current format takes the form of a magazine/entertainment show containing viewer and presenter challenges, as well as the famous arts and crafts "makes".

During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time. The current presenters are Barney Harwood, Lindsey Russell and Radzi Chinyanganya. The show uses a studio for the main format of the presenting; there is also a garden, often referred to as the Blue Peter Garden, which is used during the summer months or for outdoor activities. The programme also features a number of pets, currently a tortoise called Shelly.

Blue Peter is the British television programme.

Blue Peter also may refer to:

• Blu Peter, Peter Harris (producer) (born 1961) in music
• Music:
  • Blue Peter (instrumental), 1979 release of the Blue Peter theme tune
  • Blue Peter (band), Canadian
• Film:
  • The Blue Peter (1928 film)
  • The Blue Peter (1955 film)
• Horses:
  • Blue Peter (British horse) (born 1936)
  • Blue Peter (American horse) (born 1946)
• Blue Peter Book Award
• Locomotive LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter
• The Blue Peter, blue maritime signal flag meaning "P" or "outward bound"

Blue Peter (1936–1957) was a British bred Thoroughbred racehorse whose career was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. He won the Epsom Derby and was later a Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland.

Bred and owned by Lord Rosebery, his sire was the good racehorse, Fairway and his dam Fancy Free was by Stefan the Great, a son of The Tetrarch.

"Blue Peter" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1979. It is a rendition of the theme tune for the British children's television show Blue Peter and was used by the show between 1979 and 1989.

Blue Peter (1946–1950) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse.