What does Pretty Polly mean?

[Alinestra Covelia]

Discuss.

[Dinner]

It means the bird's name is polly and she is a pretty bird.

[SlowwHand]

Pretty dumbass thread, wouldn't you say ?


ONLY joking.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I have heard it used in different situations. A Clockwork Orange and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy both have it used in different ways than the bird definition.

[chequita guevara]

A Pretty Polly is a woman. Specific meaning is carried in context and verbal inflecton.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
I have heard it used in different situations. A Clockwork Orange and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy both have it used in different ways than the bird definition.

Both of which, you will note, were novels by British authors - i believe the usage of "polly" for woman is Brit slang. Brits, please?

[KrazyHorse]

Given what the average British woman looks like, it's not surprising.

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
i believe the usage of "polly" for woman is Brit slang. Brits, please?

I've never heard it used before. If it is Brit slang then it is very archaic.

Check this site out for more definitions of British slang than you can shake a stick at: http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/
(doesn't include Polly, btw)

[Chris Wilkinson]

Doesn't ring a bell really, although I mange to come from one of the few places in the UK without an accent.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet


I've never heard it used before. If it is Brit slang then it is very archaic.

Tinker, Tailor was mid-70's, and Clockwork '60s IIRC, so it could be slang thats no longer used.

Any OLD brits ?

[lord of the mark]

I also seem to recall that Clockwork used a lot of cockney - cockney anyone?

[chequita guevara]

CO takes place in the future, so its slang is invented.

[FrustratedPoet]

Yes, 80% of the slang in Clockwork Orange is totally made up - the rest is heavily modified versions of existing slang. It's part of what makes the book so excellent that it still makes perfect sense.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
Yes, 80% of the slang in Clockwork Orange is totally made up - the rest is heavily modified versions of existing slang. It's part of what makes the book so excellent that it still makes perfect sense.

But the author mentions that some of the slang is "rhyming slang" which he explicitly compared to cockney rhyming slang. So given that the same use for polly also occurs in Le Carre (who may have made things up but certainly not language) i would think this is "real" slang.

BTW - in honor of Le Carre -

5 points to whoever "gets it"

[Alinestra Covelia]

Ali hsas just rertnured from a anight of the town, during the course of which she has llsto her shirt, literallyqaask and who knowss awhat else. If anybodsy has resssspondedde to the s wquqieostn in the lag trimes placesss to forgev vei.

I avhe heard teh ACO is actually in RUssains. because you have slagns such as devocthiak and orthers such as pieets and rookahs which means fist etc asnd Tinker TT S APSY is writen about RUsian spies so mayb ethat smaenas sit's sojething in RUsssains? Actehs prlsk kknx. df the precisely and sdkjfh eknk haven'tos the vefore.