Harry, n.2
(ˈhærɪ)
Also 4–7 Herry.
[ME. Herry, from Henry by assimilation of nr to rr; er subseq. becoming ar, as in harry v.]
A familiar equivalent of the Christian name Henry (whence also the feminine name Harriet, originally = Henriette); used also in transferred applications, and as part of many appellatives.
I. 1. The proper name.
| c 1386 Chaucer Cook's Prol. 34 And ther-fore Herry Bailly by thy feith Be thou naf[t] wrooth. 1519 Interlude 4 Elem. in Hazl. Dodsley I. 30 The most wise prince the seventh Herry. 1648 Milton Sonnet to Lawes, Harry, whose tuneful and well-measured song [etc.]. |
2. As a generic name for:
a. A country fellow (?
obs.).
b. A young Englishman of a low-class type:
cf. 'Arry.
| 1796 Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Harry, a country fellow. 1828 Craven Dial., Harry, a country man, a rude boor. 1874 All Year Round XII. 617 We have all been introduced to Harry at home..We do not style him 'Arry, as some offensively and in the worst taste do. |
c. flash Harry: an ostentatious, loudly-dressed, and usually ill-mannered man;
cf. flash a.
3 Also
attrib.| 1960 J. Rae Custard Boys ii. xiii. 158 ‘They're just a lot of smart Alecs.’ ‘Flash Harrys,’ suggested Peter. 1960 Times 31 Oct. 16/4 He registers emotional upset by a slightly raised eyebrow, and then briskly readjusts his flash-Harry tie. 1962 Times 22 May 15/4 Her flash-Harry boy-friend. |
3. pl. Harrys or
King Harrys: playing cards of the second quality.
| 1842 Bradshaw's Jrnl. 16 Apr. (in Philol. Soc. Trans. 1867, 63) The best cards are called Moguls, the others Harrys and Highlanders. 1866 in Stationer & Fancy Trades Register 1 Sept. (Ibid.). The different qualities of cards are distinguished as Moguls, Harrys, Highlanders, and Merry Andrews. 1867 Fry Playing-Card terms (Ibid. 64) Harrys, so called from the device on the wrappers. |
II. With qualification,
Old,
Lord,
blind.
4. Old Harry: A familiar name for the Devil: see also
old and
nick.
to play Old Harry with: to play the devil or the mischief with; to work mischief upon; to ruin.
| 1777 Brand Pop. Antiq. (1870) III. 54 In the north of England Old Harry is also one of the popular names of the devil. 1796 in Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet ch. viii, There is none but Ould Harry, as I know of, that can match ye. 1837 Marryat Dog-fiend xlvii, They've played Old Harry with the rigging. 1842 Barham Ingol. Leg., Merch. Venice Moral, Pitch Greek to old Harry, and stick to Conundrums! 1880 Mrs. E. Lynn Linton Rebel of Family II. ix, These evening damps and chills play Old Harry with one's bronchial tubes. |
5. (See
quots.)
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Old Harry, a Composition used by Vintners, when they bedevil their Wines. 1796 Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Old harry, a composition used by vintners to adulterate their wines. |
6. by the Lord Harry: a form of swearing; of doubtful origin.
| 1687 Congreve Old Bach ii. i, By the Lord Harry he says true. 1708 Motteux Rabelais iv. xx. (1737) 87 Sound, Friend, in the Lord Harry's Name. 1821 Byron Epigr. Braziers' Addr. Caroline, By the Lord Harry! They'll find..much more. 1890 Besant Demoniac xv, Then, by the Lord Harry..if the Devil wins this time, you shall be the prize show of the mad-house! |
7. blind Harry: see
blind a. 16.
8. to box Harry: see
box v.
2 3 b.
III. Combinations.
9. a. In apposition:
harry-banning, a local name of the three-spined stickleback.
harry-bird, the Greater Shearwater (
Puffinus major).
Harry Denchman,
Harry Dutchman, local names of the hooded or Danish crow.
† harry-lion, ‘a horse-godmother’ (Halliwell).
harry-long-legs, the cranefly or daddy-long-legs.
† harry-ruffian, a swaggerer.
| 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. 235 Stickle-backs, Hackles: or *Harry bannings, are naught and unwholesome. |
| 1778 Eng. Gazetteer s.v. Pembrokeshire, The puffin and the *harry-bird breed in holes, and commonly in those of the rabbits. |
| 18.. W. G. Waters Words not in Forby in Norf. Arch. VIII. 167 *Harry Denchman, the Danish crow. |
| 1885 Swainson Prov. Names Birds 86 Hooded crow (Corvus cornix)..*Harry Dutchmen. |
| 1607 Christmas Prince (1816) 33 Good-wife Spiggot..her selfe staulked in the middest like a great *Harry-Lion (as it pleased the audience to terme it). |
| 1676 Cotton Angler ii. 338 We have also this month a *Harry-long-legs. 1781 F. Burney Diary 14 Sept., A Harry Longlegs..after much trial to catch, eluded me. 1851 S. Judd Margaret ii. i. (1871) 160 She has caught a harry-long-legs and holds it by one of its shanks. |
| 1609–10 Corbet Elegie on Ravis Poems (1807) 5 When I past Paules, and travell'd in that walke Where all oure Brittaine-sinners sweare and talk; Ould *Harry-ruffians, bankerupts, southsayers. |
b. In arbitrary appositive uses of which a few have emerged as set expressions,
e.g. Harry Flakers Naut. slang, exhausted;
Harry Flatters Naut. slang, (of the sea) calm;
Harry Freeman's (also
Harry Frees) chiefly
Naut. slang, a gift; also as
adj., free;
Harry James slang, nose.
| 1925 Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 115 It's Harry Freeman's, a gift. Something gratis. (Navy.) 1929 F. C. Bowen Sea Slang 64 Harry Frees, the name given in the Grand Fleet to the very welcome fruit and vegetables sent up as gifts by the public. 1935 ‘L. Luard’ Conquering Seas xii. 139, I don't expect to supply cigarettes Harry Freemans. 1941 C. Graves Life Line 154 Fortunately, the sea has dropped and it is Harry Flatters. Harry Flatters means flat calm, and Harry is used as a predicate for almost any expression. 1946 Lancet 2 Feb. 177/1 Get in there, and strip off Harry Nuders. 1950 T. E. Lawrence Mint 32 Sort of thing the civvies in London pay fifty quid for, we get harry-freeman's. 1958 F. Norman Bang to Rights 36 Plenty of dust floating about in the air, which gets..up your Harry James. 1962 John o' London's 14 June 571/2 ‘Harry Flakers’ to mean worn out after a party or heavy work. Ibid., ‘Harry Flatters’ for a flat calm sea. 1962 P. Purser Peregrination 22 xxii. 99 It's okay for our kind of thing but it would be Harry Grimmers for ordinary civilians. 1966 F. Shaw et al. Lern Yerself Scouse 58, I wuz lookin fer some Arry Freeman's, I was looking for something for nothing. a 1966 M. Allingham Cargo of Eagles (1968) viii. 103 Get me a Harry pinkers—a large one. 1969 Guardian 14 Mar. 10/5 It's derisory, old boy, they'll turn it down harry nem-conners. Ibid., Harry shambles, old boy... In the old Imperial Aircraft days..the engineer would bring the old kite down harry plonkers on the grass. |
10. attrib. Harry groat, a groat coined by Henry VIII; the
old Harry groat, is that which bears the king's head with a long face and long hair.
Harry noble, a gold coin of Henry VI.
Harry racket, a name of Blindman's buff.
Harry sovereign, a sovereign of Henry VII or Henry VIII.
| 1633 Marmion Antiquary ii. in Hazl. Dodsley XIII. 456 A piece of antiquity; sir, 'tis English coin; and if you will needs know, 'tis an old *Harry groat. 1681 Hickeringill Vind. Naked Truth ii. 26 In Henry the Eighths time, (when a Harry-groat was the chiefest Silver-Coyne). |
| 1456 Sc. Acts. Jas. II, c. 7 Mone of vþer cuntreis..sik as the *henry Ingliss noble. 1488 Ld. High Treas. Acc. Scot. I. 80 Item, in Hari nobilis and salutis fourti and ane. 1497 Ibid. 345 Item, to Hannis, gunnar..a quartar of ane Harj nobill. |
| 1611 Cotgr., Capifou, a play..not much vnlike our *Harry⁓racket, or Hidman-blind. Ibid., Cline-mucette, the game called Hodman-blind; Harrie-racket; or, are you all hid. |
| 1615 J. Stephens Satyr. Ess. 371 She hath old *harry soveraignes..to give away on her death bed. |