Dictionary

purler en · NOUN · etymology 1

Etymology

From purl (“a fall”).

Meanings

1. (UK, colloquial) A headlong fall or tumble.
   • Her French-speaking table in the dining-room is a riot of second-rate behaviour and dexterously aimed bread-pellets; the stairs outside her bedroom are relentlessly buttered and she comes purler after purler. 1954, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Listener, volume 51, page 67:
   • 1986, Judith Saxton (Katie Flynn), Family Feeling, 2012, unnumbered page, Yet he was very sure that he had tripped and gone a purler just as he was leaving the Other Place . . . had that made him gash his forehead, once he was back in the pit?
   • He came a purler on the icy path.
   • 1869, “Stonehenge” (editor), The Coursing Calendar for the Autumn Season 1868, Containing Returns of All the Public Courses Run in Great Britain snd Ireland, page 172, Dilston and Savernake: the latter led, and turned, but in trying to kill came down a purler, which completely knocked all the go out of him; Dilston took possession of the hare, and kept it, winning the course in hollow style.
   • ‘You could hold the ladder,’ Mart said, ‘see I don′t come a purler.’ 2003, Susan Hill, The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read: The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read: And Other Stories, published 2011, unnumbered page:
2. (UK, colloquial) A knockdown blow; a blow that causes a person to fall headlong.
   • [The horse] falling with a mighty crash, gave him a purler on the opposite side, and was within an ace of striking him dead with his hoof in frantic struggles to recover. 1867, Ouida [pseudonym; Maria Louise Ramé], “The End of a Ringing Run”, in Under Two Flags: A Story of the Household and the Desert. […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 119:

Forms

Relateds

come a cropper

Synonyms

king hit (incapacitating blow)

purler en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Uncertain.

Meanings

1. (Australia, colloquial) Something extremely good.
   • And just when I had a slight thought that there could be a "Lets be nice to George Week" And you come along with that purler. 2008 December 24, George W, “Best way to transport wreck Syd-Tsv.”, in aus.motorcycles (Usenet):
   • The greatest game ever played is the one marketed with that tag by Australian Football Video: the 1989 round 6 match at Prince's Park between Hawthorn and Geelong, an awesome display of the skills of the game. It is doubtful whether two such great sides had ever graced a single season as the Hawks and the Cats did in 1989. The return match in September was a bit of a purler too, as I recall. 2000 May 12, peter.ryan, “Top3 best games of all time”, in aus.sport.aussie-rules (Usenet):

Forms