brolly

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɒli/

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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• Rhymes: -ɒli

Noun

brolly (plural brollies)

1. (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, informal) Alternative form of brelly.

   It's going to rain today – you'd better take your brolly.

   • 1887, George Bernard Shaw, chapter III, in An Unsocial Socialist‎^[1]:

     “The young lady’s hi,” he said suddenly, holding out the umbrella, “is fixed on this here. I am well aware that it is not for the lowest of the low to carry a gentleman’s brolly, and I ask your ladyship’s pardon for the liberty. I come by it accidental-like, and should be glad of a reasonable offer from any gentleman in want of a honest article.”

   • 2010, “Hawaii”, performed by Tom Felton:

     The only brolly that's in sight / Is the mini one that's in my drink / JD, coke and lime / This is how I want to spend my time

   • 2023, A. C. MacDonald, Twistwood Tales (comic), Andrews McMeel, →ISBN, page 116:

     Look! The Gnome Girl believed the letter you sent and brought the magic brolly! […] Now, we just wait for the Wretch to eat her and we can finally grab it!

Derived terms

• brolly dolly

References

• John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
• “brolly n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present