- not on your Nelly
- • an old saying meaning 'not on you life' or 'no way !'. It derives from the Rhyming Slang 'Nelly Duff' an invented name meaning 'puff' or 'breath (of life)'.
Londonisms dictionary. 2014.
not on your Nelly
Look at other dictionaries:
not on your nelly — ► not on your nelly Brit. certainly not. [ORIGIN: originally as not on your Nelly Duff, rhyming slang for «puff» (i.e. breath of life).] Main Entry: ↑nelly … English terms dictionary
not on your nelly — Brit. certainly not. [orig. as not on your Nelly Duff, rhyming sl. for puff (i.e. breath of life); modelled on the phr. not on your life.] → nelly … English new terms dictionary
not on your nelly — phrasal Britain : certainly not * * * Brit. certainly not Origin: originally as not on your Nelly Duff, rhyming slang for ‘puff’ (i.e., breath of life); modeled on the phrase not on your life … Useful english dictionary
Not on your nelly! — British & Australian, old fashioned something that you say in order to tell someone that you will not do something. Perhaps you could take Phil with you to the party. Not on your nelly! … New idioms dictionary
not on your nelly — adverb not on your life, an emphatic form of no. Syn: not in a million years, not likely, not on your life, no way, no way Jose, when pigs fly, a cold day in Hell … Wiktionary
Not on your nelly! — absolutely not! … Dictionary of Australian slang
not on your nelly! — Australian Slang absolutely not! … English dialects glossary
not on your life or nelly — Certainly not … A concise dictionary of English slang
nelly — ► NOUN (pl. nellies) informal 1) a silly person. 2) derogatory an effeminate homosexual man. ● not on your nelly Cf. ↑not on your nelly ORIGIN from the given name Nelly … English terms dictionary
nelly — noun (plural nellies) informal 1》 a silly person. 2》 derogatory an effeminate homosexual man. Phrases not on your nelly Brit. certainly not. [orig. as not on your Nelly Duff, rhyming sl. for puff (i.e. breath of life); modelled on the phr. not on … English new terms dictionary
