Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Ling. Fr./Polari) a great deal, very much, plenty of; also as adj.

1856		H. Mayhew Great World of London I 6: Will you have a shant o’ gatter (pot of beer) after all this dowry of parny (lot of rain)?
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1877		J. Diprose London Life 80: After all this dowry of parny.
1892		Lloyd's Wkly Newspaper 3 Jan. 6/4: 'You have got wet, I see.' 'Yes, old boy [...] there has been a dowry of parny lately'.
2019		P. Baker Fabulosa 291/2: dowry a lot. Can be used to ‘upgrade’ any noun dowry efink a sword, dowry lattie a palace, dowry omee a king .
2002		Juha ‘Polari’ 🎵 on Polari [album] Beach in the screech. Alamo jo! / This dizzy hoofer gonna dowry jeebo. / Varda me fatcha, meshigner bona. / Savvy you gettin fericadooza.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 163: There was a dowri substantial crowd.