Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Methody adj.

Methodist.

1817		Liverpool Mercury 1 Aug. 6/3: Oud Bet [...] sent for t’ Methody Pa’sn.
1829		Westmorland Gaz. 26 Dec. 1/3: The pious leddy’s ain cause [was] marriage wi’ a strappin’ Methody preacher.
1832		Currency Lad (Sydney) 3 Nov. 4/2: A methody parson.
1835		Blackburn Standard 1 July 8/4: As they returned from the chapel men swore at them and called them ‘Methody devils’.
1841		S.C. Hall Fate of the O’Leary’s in Dublin U. Mag. Jan. 77/2: ‘Miss Milly Naylor is going to be married to – guess who?’ ‘Guess, how should I guess? A methody parson?’ .
1841		Leeds Times 11 Sept. 3/6: Oh! you wicked woman! Take all your Methody bonnets away!
1852		Morn. Post 2 Mar. 3/1: The Methody parson told me that if i did not leave it [i.e. swearing] off, I should go to a tarnation bad place.
1858		‘A. Pendragon’ Queen of the South 76: None of your Methody palaver with me.
1864		G.A. Sala Quite Alone III 88: It’s enough to make a fellow [...] turn Methody parson at once.
1879		‘’Arry on Niggers’ in Punch 15 Mar. 113/2: Comin’ ’ome I ’ob-nob’d with a bloke, bloomin’ Methody spouter I guess.
1888		Sheffield Eve. Teleg. 23 July 4/1: ‘Cast off this rotten blanket and step forth in their naked skin’ — said rotten blanket being the Methody garment.
1891		Sunderland Dly Echo 15 Dec. 3/2: Miss Rankin recited ‘Methody Jim’, and being encored, gave ‘Blacking the Baby’.
1904		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 30 Nov. 3/6: The living, fiery testimony of the Methody services, of the Methody people, and the Methody ministers.
1925		L. MacKay Mourne Folk 71: He tould us a yarn about an ould fella that went to his chapel. I think it was a Methody chapel.
1934		C. Stead Seven Poor Men of Sydney 95: Silly old woman, his mother ought to ’ve put him in petticoats. A Methody parson.
1940		O. Strange Sudden Takes the Trail 12: Good chance to try out his methody ideas.
1969		(ref. to 1930s) R. Greacen Even without Irene 39: A handful of boys who had been at the ‘methody’ prep school.