boar’s nest n scattered, but esp West
1 Living quarters inhabited by men only, or a solitary man, generally under disorderly or uncivilized conditions.
1879 Sacramento Daily Rec.–Union (CA) 2 Aug [6]/1, “Magna Charta” says Glenn provides good, comfortable sleeping apartments for his men. The statement is an unmitigated falsehood. His “sleeping-house,” which is called the “Boar’s Nest” by the men working on the grant, is a rough board house . . with one door and two windows. 1883 Connersville Examiner (IN) 21 Feb 1/5 KY, We are keeping what is termed “Bachelor’s Hall,” but the boys have have [sic] dubbed it the “boar’s nest,” on account, I suppose, of eight of us roosting here, and all of the male sex. 1901 Confederate Veteran 9.165 (as of 1865), When a prisoner could not get a place in any of the other blocks, he had to betake himself to the “boar’s nest,” which building consisted, as I recollect, of four rooms about fifty feet long and twenty feet wide; and when I left there, in March, 1865, there were . . not less than three hundred and fifty in this “boar’s nest,” which was a living, sweltering, stifling lot of humanity. 1913 Defiance Crescent–News (OH) 15 July 4/2, The last tent of the Sixth band is known as the “Boar’s Nest.” Privates Nickle, Hibbard, Corporal Wisda, Sergt. Bronson, Private Krull (better known as “Dude”) and Sergt. Baldy occupy it. The tent is not recognized as a part of the organization by the balance of the band and company. 1927 AmSp 2.349 WV, Boar’s nest . . , a camp of laborers where there are no women. “We are all staying at the boar’s nest this winter.” 1934 Cattleman 21.2.5 TX, These [smaller camps] are usually one- or two-roomed affairs with small corral and storage for saddle horse feed. In the cow country they are called “Boar’s Nests” because . . they are occupied for the most part by one man who is more interested in his duties a as [sic] cowhand than in culinary or housekeeping arts. 1958 McCulloch Woods Words Pacific NW, Boar’s nest. . . An untidy bunkhouse. 1969 Lyons My Florida 35, The most interesting people I know are hermits who live in boar’s nests. . . A proper boar’s nest should not cost more than a dime, if you don’t count the nails and baling wire that it takes to hold it together. 1971 San Antonio Express (TX) 8 Oct sec A 19/1, A San Antonian, the tobacco-chewing Casparis spends most of his time on Mustang Island in what he calls his “boar’s nest” shack.
2 A place, such as a saloon or club, where men resort for drinking or gambling.
1886 Daily News (Goshen IN) 11 Sept [5]/2 (newspaperarchive.com), Near Market street bridge across the Elkhart, there is a veritable boar’s nest, the abiding place of some of Goshen’s sots. The willows grow very thick there and these fellows have cleared a small space and then entwined the willows over it. They have dug a hole in the earth and fixed it up in a manner so they can have a fire, and lie there day and night drinking beer and whisky and eating bologna and crackers. 1896 OH Democrat (New Philadelphia) 2 Apr [2]/3 (newspaperarchive.com), Monday, about midnight, an alarm of fire called the department to the building on West High street, occupied as a saloon and known as the “Boar’s Nest.” 1911 San Francisco Call (CA) 16 July [50]/5 DC, Newspapermen in Washington . . have just made the interesting discovery that there is an apartment on the ground floor of the Champlain apartments, about six blocks from the White House, which is known as the “Boar’s Nest,” and which is the headquarters of a mighty interesting poker club. One of the prominent members of the house sleeps in the bedroom attached to this apartment, but all the other rooms are devoted to the purposes of the club. 1951 Western Folkl. 10.80 sCO, NM, Barroom Slang from the Upper Rio Grande.—The setting: . . boar’s nest (strictly man’s place).
3 also boar’s room: A disorderly or dirty place; a confused situation.
1895 (1899) Wilson Hist. PA RR Co. 1.92 (as of c1850), In the spring and fall of the year large numbers of raftsmen came with the freshets, and on returning home would board the trains from Columbia, Marietta and other points for Aqueduct Station, where they took boats for points up the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna. As they were usually packed like animals in the boats, they soon dubbed the station where they boarded them the “Boar’s Nest.” Their baggage was a sight—cooking-stoves, pots, kettles, pans, old rope, chests, carpet-bags, and bundles containing clothing and provisions. 1895 Locomotive Engin. 8.1, A man that ain’t clean enough to want to put his clothes in a clean box in a dirty shop ought to be in prison; the place used to look like a boar’s nest around every bench. 1950 WELS (If a house is untidy and everything is upset, you say it looks like _____) 1 Inf, cWI, A boar’s nest. 1951 New Castle News (PA) 15 Mar 22/1, The fresh-cut stumps and the tangle of topped-out branches had turned this area into what my friend described graphically as a “boar’s nest.” 1966–70 DARE (Qu. D7, A small space anywhere in a house where you can hide things or get them out of the way) Inf CA163, Boar’s nest—not tidy; (Qu. E22, If a house is untidy and everything is upset, you might say, “It’s a _____!”) Infs CA205, MT5, ND5, SD5, TX11, Boar’s nest; WA1, Boar’s room; (Qu. Y38, Mixed together, confused) Inf WI43, Boar’s nest. 1970 Oakland Tribune (CA) 5 July sec C 5/1, The downstairs portion is only 14-by-14 but it can quickly become a boar’s nest if I don’t keep right after the accumulation. 1980 Progress (Clearfield PA) 19 Sept 1/7, Residents and council members expressed fear that the project may start out middle-income oriented and turn into low-income, rent-subsidized units later. “I feel that you’re going to put in the type of operation that’s in DuBois,” Councilman James Gray said. “It was nice but now it’s a boar’s nest.” 2013 in 2016 DARE File—Internet IN, Family favorites: . . This room looks like a boar’s nest. Ibid WI, Re: is your Transmission quirky?? Thanks. Transmission is done. Still waiting on another issue. It’s been a boar’s nest.