Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Lord Harry n.

see Old Harry n. (1)

In exclamations

by the Lord Harry! (also by Lord Harry! by the living Harry!)

a mild oath.

[UK]D’Urfey Madam Fickle V ii: By the Lord Harry I’ll kiss thee for this.
[UK]T. Betterton Match in Newgate IV i: By the Lord Harry, you are the proudest, scoffing, scurvie, idle [etc].
[UK]Congreve Old Bachelor II i: By the Lord Harry I’ll stay no longer.
[UK]C. Coffey Devil to Pay II i: I am boozy, by the Lord Harry!
[UK]Braggadochio 78: By the Lord Harry, Mr Sharper, he’s as brave a Fellow as Cannibel.
[UK]Foote Englishman Returned from Paris in Works (1799) I 111: By the lord Harry, here are his wings.
[UK]Foote Mayor of Garrat in Works (1799) I 174: sneak: I would so swinge and leather my lambkin; God, I would so curry and claw her. bruin: By the Lord Harry, she richly deserves it.
[UK]Sporting Mag. July VIII 185/2: By the Lord Harry, I ought to be set down as a statue – as a block.
[UK]‘Bill Truck’ Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 6: By the Lord Harry, he gets worse and worse.
[US]J. Neal Down-Easters I 93: If you don’t, I will, by the Lord Harry!
[UK]W.N. Glascock Land Sharks and Sea Gulls I 142: By the Lord Harry, there’s no standing that squinting beggar’s lubberly lip.
[UK]J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 114: No, by the Lord Harry!
[Aus]Central Qld Herald (Rocckhampton, Qld) 27 Dec. 27/4: I am feeling terrible crook. I look into this cove’s eyes and by the living Harry, I know it’s all up with me.
[Aus][A. Harris] (con. 1820s) Settlers & Convicts 318: By the Lord Harry, you look as if you'd been boarding with — (the Sydney jailer) for three months.
[UK]G.J. Whyte-Melville General Bounce (1891) 98: Well ridden, by the Lord Harry!
[Aus]‘A. Pendragon’ Queen of the South 105: It’s the priest. Run, Nat, quick! run, or, by the lord Harry, Nettle ’ll limb him.
[UK]H.C. Pennell Puck on Pegasus 90: He’ll win, by the Lord Harry!
[US]W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 345: ‘By the Lord Harry, I’ll try it,’ the mate cried.
[UK]‘Old Calabar’ Won in a Canter III 120: ‘Take yourself out of the neighbourhood [...] or, by the living Harry. I’ll make it too hot for you’.
[UK]J. Greenwood Dick Temple III 158: ‘Your humble servant has been fishing [...] and by the Lord Harry he has hooked gold-bags!’.
[UK]Soldiers’ Stories and Sailors’ Yarns 79: By the Lord Harry! voices below, and lights!
[Aus]Dead Bird (Sydney) 28 Sept. 2/2: By the Lord Harry this is rich.
[Aus]H. Lawson ‘Word to Texas Jack’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 65: Texas Jack your are amusin’. By Lord Harry how I laughed.
[NZ]H.B. Vogel Maori Maid 167: By the lord Harry, I’ll give Jack beans if he has!
[Aus]E. Dyson In Roaring Fifties 170: By the Lord Harry, they’ve nabbed him!
[UK]D. Stewart Devil of Dartmoor in Illus. Police News 17 Sept. 12/2: ‘[H]allo!, by the lord Harry, is that isn’t a screw (warder)’.
[Aus]E.S. Sorenson ‘Shearer and Rouseabout’ in Life in the Aus. Backblocks 234: Some hardened sinner demands, ‘What d’yer call this, cook? Goat, or a hunk of a cart-’orse? Dog scratch me, it’s as tough as Mother Lord Harry!’.
[US]J. London ‘The Princess’ Complete Short Stories (1993) III 2475: By the Lord Harry I was so good it hurt!
[Aus]B. Cronin Timber Wolves 314: By the Lord Harry, the wind’s changing!
[Ire]Joyce Ulysses 382: By the Lord Harry green is the grass that grows on the ground.
[Ire]B. Duffy Rocky Road 122: ‘Lodgers, by the Lord Harry!’ snorted Mr. Devany.
[Aus](con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 140: If you have incurred anny responsibility, by the Lord Harry, me boy, you’ll discharge it.
[Aus]J. Morrison Black Cargo 183: By the living Harry, I’ll give him a wild bush garden!
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