1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1879. J. W. Horsley, in Macm. Mag. xl. 504. I see a reeler giving
me a roasting (watching me), so I began to count my pieces for a
jolly (pretence).
5. (general).—Praise; recommendation chaff; abuse. To chuck a jolly =
to set off an address to one or other of these ends. See Chuck.
c. 1869. Vance, The Chick-a-leary Cove. Now join in a chyike, the
jolly we all like.
1871. Daily Telegraph, 7 March. ‘Winner of the Waterloo Cup.’ The
boys all turned out to see ‘the illustrious stranger;’ and, on a
suggestion to give him a jolly, which appears to be the local
phrase, they cheered the hero loud and long.
1891. Licensed Victuallers Gazette, 9 Feb. The spank, spank, could
be heard distinctly all round the ring of spectators, who cheered
and jollied both lads vociferously.
Adj. and adv. (colloquial).—1. Fine; excellent; very good: very;
exceedingly. Cf. Awfully, Bloody, etc.
1369. Chaucer, Troilus (Skeat), ii. 223, line 1105. Tel us your
ioly wo and your penaunce.
d. 1529. Skelton, Elynour Rummyng, line 51. And yet she will iet,
Lyke a iolly fet.
1562–3. Jack Juggler [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ii. 141]. I would
he were now before your gate, For you would pummel him jollily
about the pate.
1579. Spenser, Shepheardes Calender, Sept. Indeede thy bull is a
bold bigge cur, And could make a jolly hole in their fur.
1590–6. Spenser, Fairy Queen. Full jolly knight he seemed, and fair
did sit.
1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse [Grosart ii. 77]. It will make them
iolly long-winded, to trot vp and downe the Dorter staires.
1594. Lodge, Wounds of Civil War [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), vii.
145]. Aristion is a jolly-timbered man.
1597–8. A Woman will Have her Will [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), x.
519]. ‘To bed? and what hath God sent you’. ‘A jolly girl, sir’.
1607. Marston, What You Will. With what a jolly presence would he
pace Round the Rialto.
1694. Gentlemen’s Journal, Mar., p. 57. Wine alone can make us
jolly.—Ibid. Among my cups I sing and roar Like jolly topers till I
snore.
1747–8. J. Trapp, Notes upon the Gospels, [ed. 1865] p. 25. All was
jolly quiet at Ephesus before St. Paul came thither.
1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, II. iii. What they call a jolly brisk
young man.
1836. H. M. Milner, Turpin’s Ride to York, ii. 4. That’s a jolly
lie.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. ix. ‘He is so jolly green,’ said
Charley.
1854. Punch, Nov. The Russian Liprandi charged John, Pat, and
Sandy, And a jolly good licking he got.
1856. T. Hughes, Tom Brown’s School Days, ii. 1. What a jolly desk!
1869. Daily Telegraph. He is annoyed when young ladies use slang
phrases, such as awfully jolly! Their fresh lips should drop pearls
and diamonds—not snakes and toads.
1891. Licensed Victuallers’ Gaz., 9 Jan. I was jolly glad he didn’t
die before.
1894. S. R. Crockett, The Play-actress, p. 98. My governor ’ud he
jolly well left if I did not turn up bright and early.