earthly n.
1. a chance; usu. in negative phr. meaning no chance, e.g. no earthly
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Pitcher in Paradise 216: Not one of whom [i.e. stock promoters], in the parlance of the pavements, had ‘any earthly’. | |
| Marvel 15 Dec. 589: He wouldn’t have a ghost of an earthly. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Sport (Adelaide) 3 May 12/2: They Say [...] J Mc is hanging his hat up to Norma T. You haven't an earthly while T M retains his good looks. | |
| Damsel in Distress (1961) 250: And, if you take my advice, [...] you’ll get ’em to settle out of court, for, between me and you and the lamp-post, you haven’t an earthly! | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Ulysses 224: I knocked against Bantam Lyons in there going to back a bloody horse someone gave him that hasn’t got an earthly. | |
| Enter the Saint 85: You haven’t an earthly, Edgarvitch! | |
| Diaries 29 Feb. 24: Stanley Baxter tells me he is entering the Old Vic in the spring. I wonder if I stand an earthly in this? | |
| Much Obliged, Jeeves 83: He said Ginger hadn’t an earthly. | |
| ‘Willesden Suite’ Minder [TV script] 72: You don’t stand an earthly, pal. |
2. an idea [f. sense 1].
| Bulldog Drummond 55: ‘Can you [...] enlighten me at all as to what has been going on [...]’ Drummond shook his head. ‘Haven’t an earthly, doctor.’. | |
| Complete Molesworth (1985) 231: The clot hav not got an earthly [...] he simply doesn’t know. |
In phrases
a phr. meaning no hope whatsoever, no possible chance.
| [ | | Yellowplush Papers Works III (1898) 241: So, having nothink earthly to do, I happened to be listening on the stairs]. |
| Bird o’ Freedom 8 Jan. 1/4: It is a complete puzzle to him as to who is taking 100 to 6 about his horse for the Derby, the said horse, on public form, having ‘no blooming earthly’ of defeating Surefoot. | |
| Pink ’Un and Pelican 94: Come, stir yourself if you want it [...] for if Hughie, who’s only in the next room, comes in, you’ll have no earthly. | |
| Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Nov. 24/2: The ‘has-been’ shaped well as long as he lasted, which was exactly 3min. – one round. After that he had ‘no earthly,’ and simply stood up to get punched silly. | |
| Marvel 6 Jan. 685: It ain’t no earthly you keepin’ on at this ’ere lay. | |
| Brisbane Courier 29 May 6/3: They have ‘Buckley’s’, ‘no poss,’ or ‘no earthly’. | |
 | Bismarck Dly Tribune (ND) 8 June 3/6: Notice. To the bum elements, Boozers, Dead Beats and Loafers: I am running a business place and have no earthly use for you. | |
| Human Touch 109: No blinking earthly yer stopping ’ere, madame. | |
| Film Fun 24 Apr. 1: Everybody cried: ‘No earthly! No room in there!’. | |
| Gilt Kid 279: ‘Going to get away with it?’ ‘Not a hope, mate. Not a bleeding earthly.’. | |
| Look Long Upon a Monkey 46: ‘Number Seven. What’s its name?’ [...] ‘Coolavin,’ he informed her, his nose still in his card. ‘Not an earthly.’. | |
| Baron’s Court All Change (2011) 14: Not having an earthly what she was rabbiting about, I decided to make some enquiries. | |
| Taunton Courier 30 Mar. 11/4: Mr Hill told the jury there was no earthly reason why Fairfax should not have seen the lorry. |