Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to make a sham bid at an auction; thus jollying n.

1869

Echo 11 Oct. n.p.: Dealers who if they chance to see a likely purchaser in the crowd will forthwith commence to make false offers – termed ‘jollying’ – for their own horses when brought up for auction.

2. (orig. US?) to tease roughly, to chaff, to abuse, to trick; thus jollying n.

1859		Matsell Vocabulum 127: jollying. Low expressions used by one combatant to the other during the fight, for the purpose of irritating him and diverting his attention.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 52/1: I’ll call the ‘booze’ so’s thau can ‘jolly’ whyle she’s ‘lushing’. [Ibid.] 65/1: The ‘picking up molls’ [...] seeing the fix the ‘cops’ were in, ‘kidded,’ ‘jollied’ and jeered at them.
1876		C. Hindley Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack 69: If he could not get rid of any unruly fellow by his chaffing him, [he] would invariably turn to Perdue and say, ‘Look at this man [...] I can’t jolly him down, so you must settle and do away with him’.
1889		Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette 8 Feb. n.p.: Amidst yells, shouts, hisses, and jollyings [F&H].
1895		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden Explains 74: We was jollyin like dat when I hears little Miss Fannie.
1900		A.H. Lewis ‘Politics’ in Sandburrs 92: I goes an’ gets nex’ to this mucker an’ jollies his game.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 4: Ostensibly to listen to a tirade against smoking and drinking, but ready to ‘jolly’ the fine old Jope.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 133: Y’ know yeh tore them skirts, y’ can’t jolly me. Why’d yeh do it?
1906		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Brief Début of Tildy’ in Four Million 255: None of them loudly ‘jollied’ her of mornings as they did Aileen, accusing her, when the eggs were slow in coming, of late hours in the company of envied swains.
1910		H. Hapgood Types From City Streets 51: Don’t jolly, but tell me on de level.
1922		R. McAlmon ‘Abrupt Decision’ in A Hasty Bunch 148: He seemed worried when I was jollying him.
1939		J. Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath (1951) 323: Don’t you go a-jollyin’.

3. to treat someone in an agreeable manner, with the intention of keeping them happy and/or obtaining a favour from them; esp. as jolly up/along v.; thus jollying n.

1865		cited in G. Cohen Comments on Ety. (Jan. 1995) 19: So much have they ‘jollied’ the girl [...] that she has promised to become his wife.
1894		J.K. Bangs Three Weeks in Politics 64: Why jollying plays so large a part in politics [...] to jolly is to — er — to slap, to treat, to set up.
1904		‘Hugh McHugh’ I’m from Missouri 46: The opposition is out to jolly the women along.
1906		S. Ford Shorty McCabe 125: An’ no jollyin’ nor green money would change that hayseed’s mind [Ibid.] 130: We wires to a friend of his in Newport to run down to the big circus headquarters and jolly them into sending an elephant-trainer up to us.
1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 28: Now for a little of the bull to get her jollied up a bit.
1910		Wodehouse Gentleman of Leisure Ch. xxii: De boss ain’t got no time to be gittin’ after dem himself. He’s too busy dese days wit’ jollyin’ along de swells.
1914		R. Lardner You Know Me Al (1984) 160: Even if he does jolly Allen and Russell along and make them think they can pitch.
1915		Drew & Evans Grifter 47: ‘Why don’t you jolly him along a bit’.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 54: If I ever do help by jollying you along, old Paulskie.
1929		K.S. Prichard Coonardoo 216: He tried jollying Warieda out of the belief that he was going to die.
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 21: He wasn’t too keen [...] but we jollied him along, and at last he fell for it.
1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 279: In the end he is persuaded by very skilled ‘jollying’ to have another go.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 19: Argue miv ’em an’ you’ll go ’ome mivout a face. So jolly ’em along.
1957		R. Prather Always Leave ’Em Dying 46: Since then I come out a few times just to jolly Dixie.
1961		J. Kirkwood There Must Be a Pony! 205: There are some times when you don’t want to be jollied up.
1977		A. Ayckbourn Just Between Ourselves II i: Could you jolly me up, please, Dennis.
1993		S. King Dolores Claiborne 296: I knew from the way he talked to me – kind n pleasant n sorta jollyin me along.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 436: James had been trying to jolly him out of it all night.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 55: I think I’ve found my range with Jimmy as well, know how to jolly him along. [Ibid.] 161: ‘Okay, Dad,’ he says, laughing, trying to jolly-up his pals, who are still rigid with fear.

4. to cheer.

1897

Ade Pink Marsh (1963) 143: Call ’em misteh so-and-so. ’At’s someping ’ey do n’t of’en get an’ it jollies ’em.

5. (US campus) to have a good time.

1894		Fort Worth Gaz. (TX) 1 July 5/6: Say, you never seen anyting like de way he was jollying.
1896		W.C. Gore Student Sl. in Cohen (1997) 20: Jolly v To have to [sic] good time. ‘Come up to my room, boys, and we’ll jolly for a while.’.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 43: jolly, v. To have a good time.