pally

See also: Pally

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpali/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æli

Etymology 1

From pal +‎ -y.

Adjective

pally (comparative pallier or more pally, superlative palliest or most pally)

1. Like a pal; friendly.
   • 1929, Basil Woon, From Deauville to Monte Carlo, page 157:

     The O′Briens are the palliest of pals with the Prince of Wales and when HRH is in Biarritz he and Jay are inseparable.

   • 1942, Seán O'Faoláin, Peadar O'Donnell, The Bell, volume 5, page 157:

     Words are the friendliest and palliest things I know.

   • 1987, Alan Sillitoe, Every Day of the Week: An Alan Sillitoe Reader, page 30:

     […] he was a champion boozer and the palliest bloke in the pub.

   • 2006, Vidar Helgesen, Erik Solheim, The Straight Talkers, Harriet Martin (editor), Kofi Atta Annan (foreword), Kings of Peace, Pawns of War: The Untold Story of Peace-Making, page 112,

     And with each round the two negotiating teams got more and more pally. ‘By the sixth round we were having Jacuzzis together!’

   • 2010, Donald Munro, Diaries of a Stretcher-Bearer 1916-1918, page 100:

     When there were Australian officers everyone was more pally and sociable which made it easier for the lady in charge to entertain the party.

   • 2011, David Rowley, Erections in the Far East, page 19:

     The chap I′m most pally with is Fright who is nearly sixty now but still climbs like a youngster.

Derived terms

• palliness

Etymology 2

From pal +‎ -y (diminutive ending).

Noun

pally (plural pallies)

1. (US) An affectionate term of address.
   • 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 164:

     ‘Sit here, pally.’ He pushed me down.

   • 1951, Cue: The Weekly Magazine of New York Life, page M-77:

     Well, a lot of water has flown under the bridges since then, pally, and while I have been laying off lately, I′m still the same old Joey, which is more than I can say for that O′Hara creep.

   • 1968, Alex La Guma, Tattoo Marks and Nails: A Walk in the Night: And Other Stories, page 95:

     Ahmed the Turk grinned. “You call this hot, chommy? Pally, we used to take slices off the heat, put them on our biscuits and make toast.”

   • 1993, Roger Kahn, The Era: 1947-1957, When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World, page 342:

     As the Giants moved West, most accepted Horace Stoneham′s apologia: “I can′t stay where I am, pally. If I don′t move the team I go bankrupt. Except for Chub [Feeney], all my relatives would starve.”

2. (US, Australia) A slightly derogatory and insulting term of address.

   What do you think you are doing, pally?

Etymology 3

Clipping of paladin +‎ -y (diminutive suffix).

Noun

pally (plural pallies)

1. (slang, fantasy roleplaying games) A paladin.