Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an apology.

1919

Marvel 3 Mar. 6: Get on with that ’polly, and be smart about it [...] Tell the kid you’re sorry you swatted him.

2. (Aus./US, also pollie) a politician, esp. when corrupt.

1914		T.A. Dorgan Indoor Sports 10 July [synd. cartoon] ‘I’m gonna speak a piece. Mr Lewis said so.’ ‘He told me too. I’m gonna talk like a polly’.
1920		Morning Bull. (Rockhampton, Qld) 3 Mar. 6/2: We sent wires to every ‘polly’ — / Did you ever hear such folly? / We even sent one to Billy Hughes!
1932		V.F. Nelson Prison Days and Nights 37: If he’s some kind of a big shot politician, or something, I make it my business to get right in solid with him [...] Where do you think I’d be right now, if I didn’t know a pile of pollies and big shots?
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 161/2: Polly. 1. Any political office holder or hanger-on, especially one who accepts bribes or in any way deals with the ‘overworld’ in the interests of the underworld.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxviii 10/2: polly: Politician.
1989		R.G. Barratt ‘Poofs on Parade’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] [F]ellow Call To Australia pollie Marie Bignold.
1999		Bug (Aus.) 14 Apr. 🌐 Wazza showed a typical pollie’s shameless gall to take advantage of a part of the media which he had previously shat upon.
2005		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read Chopper 4 124: What is this problem that Aussie pollies have with introducing a [...] Bill which states the individual rights of the citizens?
2009		P. Temple Truth 59: Stuff like this, the media blowies on you, bloody pollies pestering, the ordinary work goes to hell.
2017		T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 55: Corrupt pollies and police, brown paper bags and illegal casinos.