Larry Dooley

English

Alternative forms

• larry-dooley

Etymology

After Larry Dooley, an otherwise forgotten early boxer, or possibly the better remembered Larry Foley. Popularised by cricket commentator Richie Benaud when describing aggressive batsmen.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

Larry Dooley (uncountable)

1. (Australia, slang) A beating, a hiding, a ticking-off; aggro.
   • 1972, Ken Clift, The Saga of a Sig: The Wartime Memories of Six Years Service in the Second A.I.F.‎^[1], page 150:

     Meggsie and his crew gave the Japs some ‘Larry Dooley’ with a group of Brigade sigs who, galloping back and forth from the armourer′s position carried the bombs after they had been checked.

   • 2001, Alison Lester, The Snow Pony‎^[2], page 128:

     She could hear her now, using her grannie′s voice, “You lose ninety per cent of your body heat through your head, young lady, so get that hat on before I give you Larry Dooley.”

2. (Australia, slang, colloquial, sports or other competitive activity) Extra effort; extra impetus; enthusiastic aggression.

   As they came down the home straight, the jockey gave his horse Larry Dooley.

   • 2006, Andrew Symonds, Steven Gray, Roy: Going for Broke, page 135:

     As Ian Harvey came in, my carefully considered words of advice were something like: ‘Have a look, get settled and then let′s give ′em a bit of Larry Dooley!’

3. (Australia, slang) Pain, gyp.
   • 1978, Hal Porter, Mary Lord, Hal Porter, Portable Australian Authors, published 1980, page 316:

     “Don't be euphemistic. I′m getting drunk. I intend to get drunker. My sciatica′s giving me Larry Dooley. From now on I′ll pour my own, thank you very much.″

   • 1988, Alexandra Towle, Mothers: A Celebration in Prose, Poetry, and Photographs of Mothers and Motherhood‎^[3], page 178:

     And, taking off her shoes new filmed with the dust of roads and adventure, “My corn is giving me Larry Dooley!”

Usage notes

In the sporting sense, one may give, or be exhorted to give, a horse or a car Larry Dooley to speed it up in a race.

Derived terms

• play Larry Dooley

See also

• give it some welly