happy as Larry en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
This has been said to refer to the Australian boxer Larry Foley (1849–1917), who never lost a fight. This is not likely as the earliest reference to the phrase is in a letter to the editor of the Illawarra Mercury in Wollongong, Australia in 1857. In it the correspondent "G U A" (probably Dr. George Underwood Alley, known for regularly corresponding with newspapers) writes "...we'll all live together, like Brown's cows, and be as happy as Larry."
Meanings
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(informal, qualifier:simile) Extremely happy and carefree.
Their purpose couldn’t be clearer or more sinister. They are hoping lots of us will pause and ask ourselves: “Why do we need independence when Scotland is quite palpably as happy as Larry?”
2017 April 22, Kevin McKenna, “Scotland a happy place? Don’t make me laugh”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Synonyms
Translations (3)
es más feliz que una perdiz (extremely happy and carefree) · es feliz como una perdiz (extremely happy and carefree) · ca feliç com un gínjol (extremely happy and carefree)