barney

See also Barney

English

This definition is lacking an etymology or has an incomplete etymology. You can help Wiktionary by giving it a proper etymology.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: bäʹni, IPA: /ˈbɑː(ɹ)ni/, X-SAMPA: /"bA:ni/

• Rhymes: -ɑː(r)ni

Noun

barney (plural barneys)

1. (UK, Australia, slang) A noisy argument.
   • 2007, Dave Brooks, For Nil Consideration, page 230,

     Gary and Mum went mental, and Gary phoned them up and had a right Barney with them.

   • 2009, Neville Conway, An Ornament to His Profession, page 45,

     ‘They had a right barney,’ Dexter said with glee, between mouthfuls. ‘Bloke wouldn′t go. Said he′d write to his MP.’

   • 2010, Michael White, The Art of Murder, unnumbered page,

     ‘ […] I bet there was a right barney over her wearing a dress that exposed the rose tattoo!’ Turner concluded with a laugh.

2. (UK, Australia, slang) A minor physical fight.
   • 1982, Ruth Dudley Edwards, Corridors of Death, page 157,

     I got stuck in the middle of a real barney between a couple of tough coppers and a handful of hairy protesters, and I didn't enjoy it one single bit.

   • 2010, Katie Flynn, The Liverpool Rose, page 200,

     But he doesn't seem to be so — so angry all the time, and it's ages since he and Aunt Annie had a real barney, with flying fists and screechings, that sort of thing.

   • 2011, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, Killing Time, unnumbered page,

     ‘I heard this crash, like the door was being kicked in, and then a load of shoutin′ an′ crashin′ about, like someone was havin' a real barney.’

Synonyms

• (noisy argument): quarrel, row
• (fight): fisticuffs, scuffle
• See also Wikisaurus:argument
• See also Wikisaurus:fight

Verb

barney (third-person singular simple present barneys, present participle barneying, simple past and past participle barneyed)

1. (UK, Australia, slang) To argue, to quarrel.

Synonyms

• (argue): bicker, have a barney, row, squabble

Anagrams

• nearby