Nelly (Bligh), n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Nelly (Bligh) n.

also Nellie..., Nelly Bly

[rhy. sl.; ult. Nellie Bly, the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (1864–1922), famous pioneering feminist newspaper reporter, who acquired her pen name from the title of a popular song at the time]

1. a tie.

1920

T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 118: Nellie Bly, that’s tie.

2. (Aus.) a meat pie.

1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxvi 4/2: nelly blighs: [...] meat pies.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 90: A few other examples: mutt and jeff is deaf, after the characters in a long-running Australian newspaper comic strip; dad and dave is shave, after Steele Rudd’s famous characters; nelly bligh is pie.

3. an eye, usu. in pl.

1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxvi 4/2: nelly blighs: eyes.
2002		Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 Nelly Bligh(s) (2): the eye(s).

4. the fly on a pair of trousers.

2002

Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 Nelly Bligh (1): the trousers fly.

5. a fly; often in pl.

1955		M. Durack Keep Him My Country (1983) 179: Thanks, Stan. I never was one for drinking with the Nelly Blys.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.
1972		Dodson & Saczek Dict. of Cockney Rhy. Sl.
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 785: since ca. 1910.

6. a lie, a lair.

1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 72: Monkey [...] must have been walking around telling a few nellies about what had happened.
1999		D. Looser ‘Boob Jargon’ in NZEJ 13 33: nellie bligh n. Untruth, lie - rhvming slang.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 123/1: Nellie Bligh n. 1 a lie. 2 a liar.