Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. pearl buttons, esp. found on a costermonger’s clothes.

1886–96		Marshall ‘Bleary Bill’ in ‘Pomes’ from the Pink ’Un 60: Why are your pearlies so bright, bleary Bill? [F&H].
1891		Chevalier & Crook [perf. Albert Chevalier] ‘The Coster’s Serenade’ 🎵 Me in my ‘pearlies’ felt a toff that day.
1896		A. Morrison Child of the Jago (1982) 146: Fluffy Pike’s moleskin waistcoat, with pearlies down the front and the artful dodge over the pocket.
1900		Marvel 21 Dec. 15: Yoors trooly ad a check soot wiv 2 undred perlies on it.
1912		E. Pugh City Of The World 41: This is ’Arry. Not the gentleman in pearlies: that’s Bill the Yahoo.

2. costermongers as a class.

1905		Marvel III:53 2: Another individual of the ‘pearly’ type.
1950		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 4 Sept. 5: London’s costers [...] will wear their regalia — suits covered with thousands of pearl buttons. That’s why the costers are called ‘pearlies’.

3. (also pearls) the teeth.

1892		National Observer 27 Feb. 378: Look at my pearlies, kool my ’ed of ’air [F&H].
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 14 Dec. 1/1: [L]et the edged face get within whispering distance of the ‘pearlies’.
1914		W.L. George Making of an Englishman I 71: Never mind your words so long as you’ve the limelight on your pearlies.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 811: pearls – The teeth.
1999		N. Stephenson Cryptonomicon 887: She beams – her pearlies are very white in the sun.
2012		T. Robinson ‘’Hot Enough For Ya? in Dirty Words [ebook] [H]e liked to keep his breath clean and teeth polished, was often complimented on his pearlies.
2018		R. O’Neill ‘Ocker’ in The Drover’s Wives (2019) 181: He buggered off quick sticks when she showed him Croc’s [ii.e.a dog] pearlies.
2019		P. Baker Fabulosa 296/1: pearls teeth .
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 218: [P]earls dazzling in the mirror.