Murphy, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Murphy n.

[Murphy, a common Irish surname]

1. (orig. UK) an Irish person.

1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 196: Two Irishmen [...] were sadly puzzled [...] ‘Now, what is after bothering your brain?’ says pat. ‘Why, returned Murphy [etc].
1841		Freeman’s Jrnl 25 Sept. 3/3: [He] wished Murphy and his countrymen were the other side of the water.
c.1868		‘Dizzy’s Lament’ in C. Hindley Curiosities of Street Lit. (1871) 105: But if I had my will, mark what I mean, / I’d make Murphy a footman to the Queen.
1871		Morn. Post (London) 27 Apr. 3/2: The extravaganza of ‘Paddy Murphy; or, an Irishman’s Fortunes’.
1948		R. Park Harp in South 58: ‘You meddlesome old murphy’.
1978		Maledicta II:1+2 (Summer/Winter) 163: Murphy Any person of Irish descent, from the common Irish surname.

2. (US) a police officer.

1965

J. Hersey Too Far to Walk 123: They’ve got one of the Murphy’s helmets! They’re throwing it in the air!

3. (orig. US Und.) a victim of Murphy (Game), the n.

1968

J. Hersey Algiers Motel Incident 388: She figured me as just an easy Murphy.

Murphy (Game), the (n.)

see separate entry.

Murphy land (n.)

(US) Ireland.

1838		Crockett Almanac (1839) 31: I felt as if all the Paddies in Murphy Land war dancing an Irish jig in my belly for three days arter [HDAS].
1887		Sheffield Dly Teleg. 28 Dec. 6/6: He was making up his mind to go to ‘Murphy Land’.
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl.

Murphy’s countenance (n.) (also Murphy’s face) [stereotyped relationship between the Irish and the pig]

a pig’s face.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1830		Lytton Paul Clifford I 130: If you be n’t knocked o’ the head! Your poll’s as bloody as Murphy’s face ven his throat’s cut!