Dictionary

amby en · NOUN · etymology 1

Etymology

Clipping of ambulance + -y.

Meanings

1. (informal) An ambulance.
   • I've lived up in those selfsame mountains, and let me assure you that while I owned and drove several older VWs, I would not have spent a single March up there without one that would reliably make it to Dominican Hospital at flank speed. And faced with the same situation, would probably still have elected to have the amby meet me at the Safeway in Felton, or the fire house in BC. 1997 March 18, Jeffrey B. Zurschmeide, “Blood on 17...”, in scruz.general (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Thanx steff I actually turned left because I felt uncomfortable with the amby behind me :) 2004 March 24, robbb, “Home again . . .”, in alt.support.stop-smoking (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Does anyone know where the EMD station is based for North Staffs Amby Service? 2002 October 5, Anthony R. Baddeley, “EMD North Staffs”, in uk.community.ambulance (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • 3:20 dispatch 'awright.. reports that a teacher saw two shadows running past the building, past the gym, which would be rear - I think near shooting.. 3:36 'Yeah we got'em.. THEY ARE coming at ME down gun point, 3:45 'amby [ambulance?] stand by for dispatch' 2013 February 28, King Johnny for President, “SANDY HOOK HORROR : CBS Interview 'We needed to break into the school to get in because the back doors are secured. We broke out the window,' said Kehoe.”, in alt.misc (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Where do you get this statement, the amby has a bigger impact on peoples^([sic]) lives than the fire service. 2002 September 8, fred, “Those poor Firemen!”, in uk.community.ambulance (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Despite most urban women managing to make it to hospitals to give birth, TNIE finds that a rare few have given birth in the belly of an amby. […] As luck would have it, the natural childbirth went off without a hitch and a healthy 1.8 kg female child was born in the ambulance — chalking one more successful ‘amby baby’ birth. 2013 May 16, Daniel Thimmayya, “Amby delivery: Woman gives birth on Harrington Road”, in The New Indian Express, Chennai, archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Puncture wounds, deep cuts, choking. That's just a start. Any of those could lead to death before the ambies arrive. 2005 May 22, Grimly Curmudgeon, “Oh bollocks . . . .”, in uk.rec.motorcycles (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Well that's it I've been thinking about whether to keep the dam thing or not and after getting a look at Grumble (and a few whispers from said truck) myself and my partner are going to convert not 1 but 2 101 ambies and take them around the world hoping to ship out in about 4-5 yrs time. 2003 July 27, Kay Mawby, “I think I must be mad”, in alt.fan.landrover (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • The 1st time I woke up I hit the snooze button, the 2nd I got out of bed, the third time was in the back of an ambulance. I have some dim memories of traffic coming to a stop and grabbing a whole handfull^([sic]) of brake. I was rather disoriented when I woke up in the back of an amby. 1993 July 21, Henry O. Farad, “odd places to wake up”, in alt.peeves (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • Aerrrhhh, good point. So if you don't move over, the Amby hits you in the rear and leaves a paint marker on your bumper? 2003 October 22, Lon Stowell, “Ambulance bumper paint?”, in alt.folklore.urban (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
   • ■ The Ambulance Tracking System locates the ambulances closest to the caller and pops it up on the operator’s screen. They select the closest fit and assign an amby ■ The location of the caller is sent to the amby and they swing into action. Hospitals are being mapped by geo-tagging. Soon, the nearest hospital will also show up on the amby screen with the quickest route on Google maps15 2014 October 15, Daniel Thimmayya, “App-solute Gem from House of '108' Services”, in The New Indian Express, Chennai, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2024:
   • We watched as he was taken out of the amby, loaded into the helo, and saw the helo take off. 2007 July 25, Wudscrasher, “"WTF???" RR -- Complete, Long”, in rec.motorcycles.dirt (Usenet), archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:

Forms

amby en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

Clipping of ambidextrous + -y, after the pattern of rightie and leftie.

Meanings

1. (informal) An ambidextrous person.
   • Are you a righty? Or a lefty? Or -- gasp! -- an "amby?" (If you're an "amby," then which way do you play?). 1999 March 31, \"R&B\" [username], “Righty? Or lefty?”, in rec.sport.golf (Usenet):
   • The slim design makes for easy one-hand opening for righties, lefties and ambies. 1999 August, “Great Stuff”, in Cliff Gromer, editor, Popular Mechanics:
   • Medical scientists speculate that lefties and ambies exercise their brains more and grow more cells. 2001, Rita Robinson, Discover Yourself Through Palm Reading, New Page Books, →ISBN, page 41:
   • Next time you have an amby, tell them quick like to close their eyes and serve a volleyball. Everybody prefers one side for something that they do, it's just a matter if syncing that something with a good choice to start the unknown with. 1997 April 11, RP Pelletier, “Re: Burton Slide Test”, in rec.skiing.snowboard (Usenet):
   • I mean the ambidextrous Test cricketers who batted right-handed and bowled left-arm, or the other way about. 2009 October 29, Kersi Meher-Homji, “Weird or wonderful? The cricketing ambies”, in The Roar, Sydney, N.S.W., archived from the original on 14 Nov 2018:

Forms

Relateds

leftie · rightie

Synonyms

ambi · ambidexter