It seems obvious that there is some elapsed time between the decision to knock down a mouthy deckhand and the execution of the idea in fact.

I am impressed, in reviewing this thread, at the sheer obstinacy of the countervailing notion that blowing meant calling someone up on a speaking device. I consider it wrong-headed in light of all the other references provided, but wonderfully adamantine in its wrong-headedness.

"Blow" of course also refers to wind, and possibly to dumping sail, but those are different contexts.

As for the old epithet, I first heard it as "Well, blow me down and call me shorty!", which supports the knock-down interpretation.

A