bunk v1 [Prob var of bump]
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2 To cause (something) to bump; to suffer injury to (a part of the body) by striking it against something. esp NY, NJ
1877 Habberton Other People’s 211 NY, “What’s the matter, Budge?” asked Mr. Burton. “My side hurts—where—I—bunked it stoppin’ in the gutter when I slid down the mountain.” 1894 in 2016 (acc) Lexis–Nexis Legal Research State Case Law: NY (Internet) Brooklyn NY, Ibert’s wagon in the immediate rear of the car was rapidly turned out to pass the car . . in doing which, to use the words of the youthful witnesses, he “bunked” his wagon first against the tail of the car and then against this wagon in the street. 1921 Canfield Brimming Cup 248 VT, The little boy . . put his hand up, felt the bandage, and said with an off-hand air, “Oh, I bunked my head on the corner of the swing-board.” 1937 in 2016 (acc) Lexis–Nexis Legal Research State Case Law: NJ (Internet), The evidence shows that after home treatment he was taken to the hospital dispensary and reported to the doctor there that he had “bunked [the foot] against a chair.” 1947 Ibid, According to the testimony of a fellow-employee, decedent “bunked” his head and his forehead was lacerated. 1977 Syracuse Herald–Jrl. (NY) 13 Apr 19/1, The tot says, “I was gettin’ outa bed and I bunked my head on the bed table.” “Oh,” says Mommy, “I thought maybe you and Sis bunked into each other.” Gloria F. Reid of Syracuse, N.Y., is curious about where the word bunk comes from. 1984 Sun. Sun (Lowell MA) 28 Oct sec B 1/2 Brooklyn NY, Then, when Jetta said ouch, her leg hurt ’cause she just bunked it on the kitchen table, sentimentality swept over me like a wave of rush-hour commuters. 2010 in 2016 DARE File—Internet UT, I thought that he had bunked his head, until the next morning and he was complaining his leg hurt. 2011 Times–Union (Albany NY) 17 Mar (Internet), He no longer announces to his mother those tell-tale signs of growth. He just bunked his head against the door frame of his room. 2016 DARE File—Internet MA, It was pitch dark but I knew I was hanging upside down by my seat belt. . . I undid my seat belt and bunked my head a little bit on the ceiling as I crawled out of the car.
3 with ~into, ~(up) against: To bump into; to meet (someone) accidentally. scattered, but chiefly NYC
1882 in 2016 (acc) Lexis–Nexis Legal Research State Case Law: AR (Internet), It was in evidence that there were cross-ties piled at the end of the spur-switch for the cars to “bunk” against, and that these were forced away by the trucks of the car. 1890 Salt Lake Tribune (UT) 29 Apr 8/1, A double motor electric car was towing an open car yesterday noon up Main street, a single motor car being in front. The latter stopped to let off a passenger, when the tandem outfit bunked into it. 1894 Life 23.305 NYC, I run her [=a street car] slow to-day and only spoiled their clothes when I bunked into them, but some day I’ll smash up three or four of them. 1897 Ft. Worth Reg. (TX) 10 Mar 3/4 NYC, I suppose a rat racing along that shelf . . had bunked up against it and knocked it over. 1908 Macon Daily Telegraph (GA) 13 Apr 6/2, [Advt:] If you have . . bunked into another fellow, or had any kind of accident or break-down, just drag the remains around to us and have it properly set up again. Coleman Buggy Co. 1919 in 2016 (acc) Lexis–Nexis Legal Research State Case Law: NY (Internet) NYC, He, defendant, then turned to the left in an effort to avoid him, but that plaintiff kept on walking, when, as defendant expressed it, he “bunked into him.” 1942 New Yorker 30 May 14/1 Brooklyn NY, What do you think of that? Bunking into you on a subway train. 1942 Time 1 June 58 NYC, I bunked into a friend of mine on Moitle Avenoo. 1967 DARE (Qu. II17, If you happen to meet someone that you haven’t seen for a while: “Guess who I _____this morning.”) Inf NY34, Bumped into—In Brooklyn the word bumped is often “bunked”. 1967 DARE File NYC, “I bunked into something” meaning “I bumped. . . ” was used by my mother, Jewish, who grew up on the East Side in NYC and also by a friend who is Italian Catholic who was raised in the Bronx. 1968 DARE FW Addit Brooklyn NY, Bunk—To bump (into something). 1977 [see 2 above]. 1980 Sat. Review Aug 77 NYC, It used to be that . . we’d bump into our friends (except in New York, where we’d bunkinta them). 2012 DARE File NYC, BTW, I “bunk” into things. Or did.
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