This week’s theme
Terms formed from names

This week’s words
Hooray Henry
nervous Nelly
flash Harry
Aunt Sally
good-time Charlie

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(flash HAR-ee)

MEANING:

noun: A man who dresses and behaves in a vulgar, showy, or pretentious manner.

ETYMOLOGY:

From flash (showy) + generic use of the name Harry. Earliest documented use: 1960.

NOTES:

Harry is a diminutive of names such as Henry, Harold, Harrison, and Harvey. The exact origin of Harry in this term is unknown, but Harry was a common name for working-class men in Britain, often associated with a certain brashness or flamboyance. The modern usage of flash Harry may have been reinforced by the Flash Harry character in the St Trinian’s movie series. Also see harry

USAGE:

“‘My son, Simon, talked me into buying the Porsche,’ she chuckled after the event. ‘I had always wanted one -- but at my age! When the police stopped me I think they thought it was going to be some flash Harry, but out came this fat little old lady.’”
Steve Pratt; Marvellous Mollie; Northern Echo (Darlington, UK); Sep 8, 2010.

“‘Quick as a flash,’ Harry said.”
Siobhan McNally; Let’s Do This Together; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Jun 21, 2023.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: