head-the-ball, n. colloq. (chiefly Irish English and Sc.).
Brit. /ˈhɛdðəbɔːl/, U.S. /ˈhɛdðəˌbɔl/, /ˈhɛdðəˌbɑl/, Sc. /ˈhɛdðəbɔl/, Irish English /ˈhɛdðəbɔl/
Forms: 19– head-the-ball, 19– heid-the-baw
[‹ head v. + the adj. + ball n.1]
A foolish, slightly contemptible person; an idiot, a ‘nutcase’. Cf. bawheid n.
Mildly derogatory, or as an affectionate form of address or reference.
| 1958 B. Behan Borstal Boy iii. 221 Oh, bejasus, and we're all caught... Here comes Head-the-Ball. 1977 J. Pepper What Thing to Say 37 ‘Oul head-the-ball’ does not come within the category of a complimentary label, unlike ‘He plays with the head’, which does. 1985 M. Munro Patter 32 Here he is, wee heid-the-baw himself. 1987 C. Reid Joyriders 69 When we're all drawin' the pension there'll still be head-the-balls like him an' there'll still be well-meanin' people like you. 1995 E. Toman Dancing in Limbo i. 24 If somebody doesn't get a grip, the head-the-balls from Fermanagh will be up to their tricks again. 2001 K. Sampson Outlaws (2002) 217 Sounds a bit cheesed off, old Eli. Wants us to call him most urgently the head-the-ball. |