Meanings
plural Arthur Daleys
- A person who is devious, who cheats people, and who often resorts to confidence tricks.
2003 July 15, in news.bbc.co.uk Tories blast 'Arthur Daley' Blair Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are the Arthur Daleys of British politics, according to the Conservative leader.
1 more example
He was a bit of a ducker and diver, an Arthur Daley type who sold stuff out of the back of his Volvo, like tracksuits, alcohol and cigarettes.
2011, Ken Doherty, Life in the Frame: My Story
Origin
From the character of the same name in the British television series Minder.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Arthur Daley. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arthur%20Daley
“Arthur Daley.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arthur%20Daley. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Arthur Daley,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arthur%20Daley.
Source: Arthur Daley on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.