bally

See also: bally about

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæli/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -æli

Etymology 1

Alteration of bloody.

Adjective

bally (not comparable)

1. (British, dated, euphemistic) Bloody (used as a mild intensifier).

   He's just a bally idiot.

   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “VII, VIII, AND XV”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

     However, be that as it may and whether you liked the bally thing or didn't, the point was that it had vanished [...] It amazed me that I could have allowed myself to be let in for a binge of this description simply because a woman wished it. Too bally chivalrous for our own good, we Woosters, and always have been. [...] “When you hear me burst into song, you'll know there's peril afoot and you'll have plenty of time to nip out of the window.” “And break my bally neck?” [...] “Nothing can possibly go wrong.” “Just as you say, sir. But I still have that feeling.” The blood of the Woosters is hot, and I was about to tell him in set terms what I thought of his bally feeling, when I suddenly spotted what it was that was making him crab the act.

   • 1984, Armistead Maupin, Babycakes, page 134:

     “Bunny has a bad heart.” She glanced toward the corpse in the hallway. “The bally fool... the stupid, bally fool.

Adverb

bally (not comparable)

1. (UK, dated, euphemistic) Very.

   That was a bally foolish thing to do, old chap!

Usage notes

• Bally is used by the British upper classes, as well as lower classes in the East End of London.

Synonyms

• blasted, dashed

References

• “bally”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Etymology 2

Clipping of balaclava +‎ -y.

Noun

bally (plural ballies)

1. (MLE) A balaclava.
   • 2017 July 1, “2Ls”, performed by Y.AM of 410:

     With SB, no sideman
     Bally on my face like darg I’m silent (…)
     3 up Silent and Violent
     Bally on my face, fuck Trident

   • 2017 August 2, “Call It”, performed by Bis of Harlem Spartans:

     Always I got my bally
     But sometimes I'm like fuck bally
     Cah long time I ain’t seen Savy
     And long time I ain’t seen Smarkz

   • 2017 October 6, “50 Cali”, in Wamp 2 Dem, performed by Giggs of SN1:

     I’ma get that iron, go and get the bally

   • 2018 April 29, “Missing”, performed by Headie One:

     Now her pussy just dripping, when she sees the guys on stage
     Just like the old days, I’ll cause another tidal wave
     Just know that could’ve been you when you see me put one of the licence plate
     Bad B come to the Niz, shawty wanna do it like Diddy and Cassie
     Only if she knew I was rolling down ballies, still with a skeng on my lap in the backseat

Derived terms

• bally up

Anagrams

• abyll, lylab