barney
See also: Barney
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bäʹni, IPA(key): /ˈbɑːni/
- (General American) enPR: bäɹʹni, IPA(key): /ˈbɑɹni/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ni
Etymology 1
Etymology unknown. Often incorrectly thought to be Cockney rhyming slang from "Barney Rubble" ( "trouble", from the character Barney Rubble on The Flintstones), it actually dates back to the 19th century and its origin is unknown.
Noun
barney (plural barneys)
- (obsolete, UK, slang) A lark, a romp, some fun.
- (obsolete, UK, slang) A hoax, a humbug, something that is not genuine, a rigged or unfair sporting contest.
- 1865, Brierley, Benjamin, Irkdale, volume 2, page 19:
- "Just keep it i' thy mind," entreated the other, as a sort of parting remembrance, "ut I won thee i' fair powell—one toss an' no barney. […] "
- 1882 September 2, Evening News, column 6, page 1:
- Blackguardly barneys called boxing competitions.
- 1884 April 13, The Referee, column 4, page 7:
- Who would believe that Mr. Gladstone shammed being ill, and that Sir Andrew Clark issued false bulletins, and that the whole thing was a barney from beginning to end.
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- (obsolete, Harvard University slang) A poor recitation. [c. 1810]
- (UK, Australia, slang) A noisy argument.
- 2007, Brooks, Dave, For Nil Consideration, page 230:
- Gary and Mum went mental, and Gary phoned them up and had a right Barney with them.
- 2009, Conway, Neville, 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, White, Michael, 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.
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- (UK, Australia, slang) A minor physical fight.
- 1982, Edwards, Ruth Dudley, 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, Flynn, Katie, 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, Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia, Killing Time:
- ‘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.’
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- (US dialect, Boston) A student at Harvard University.
- 1997, Damon, Matt and Affleck, Ben, Good Will Hunting, spoken by Morgan O'Mally (Casey Affleck):
- There goes that fuckin' Barney right now, with his fuckin' "skiin' trip." We should'a kicked that dude's ass.
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- (film, television) Synonym of blimp (“soundproof cover for a video camera”)
- 2015, Peter W. Rea, David K. Irving, Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video (page 209)
- You can create your own blimp or barney with anything that will deaden the camera noise, such as a changing bag, foam rubber, […]
- 2015, Peter W. Rea, David K. Irving, Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video (page 209)
Adjective
barney (comparative more barney, superlative most barney)
- (obsolete, UK, slang) insane crazy, loony.
Synonyms
- (noisy argument): quarrel, row, or see Thesaurus:dispute
- (fight): fisticuffs, scuffle, or see Thesaurus:fight
Verb
barney (third-person singular simple present barneys, present participle barneying, simple past and past participle barneyed)
- (obsolete, Harvard University slang) To recite badly; to fail. [c. 1810]
- 1947, Adams, Samuel Hopkins, Banner by the Wayside:
- What avails it to make a shine in Greek if the next hour one does a barney in calculus.
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- (UK, Australia) To argue, to quarrel.
Synonyms
- (argue): bicker, have a barney, row, squabble, or see Thesaurus:squabble
References
- Hall, Benjamin Homer (1851) A Collection of College Words and Customs, page 15
- Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890), “barney”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, OCLC 882571771, pages 81–82.
- Farmer, John Stephen (1890) Slang and Its Analogues, volume 1, page 129
Etymology 2
From the character Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.
Noun
barney (plural barneys)
- (US, pejorative slang) A police officer, usually one perceived as inferior or overzealous.
- 2005, “Scott Peterson's sister speaks out”, in (please provide the title of the work), MSNBC, March 3, 2005: “Foo”
Synonyms
- (police officer): fed, pig, or see Thesaurus:police officer
Anagrams
- brayne, nearby