barney

plural barneys

1. UKobsoleteslangA lark, a romp, some fun.
2. UKobsoleteslangA hoax, a humbug, something that is not genuine, a rigged or unfair sporting contest.

   Blackguardly barneys called boxing competitions.

   1882 September 2, Evening News, column 6, page 1

   2 more examples

   "Just keep it i' thy mind," entreated the other, as a sort of parting remembrance, "ut I won thee i' fair powell—one toss an' no barney.[…]"

   1865, Benjamin Brierley, Irkdale, volume 2, page 19

   Who would believe that Mr. Gladstone shammed being ill, and that Sir Andrew Clark issued false bulletins, and that the whole thing was a barney from beginning to end.

   1884 April 13, The Referee, column 4, page 7

3. obsoleteHarvard University slangA poor recitation.First known use c. 1810
4. AustraliaUKslangA noisy argument.

   Gary and Mum went mental, and Gary phoned them up and had a right Barney with them.

   2007, Dave Brooks, For Nil Consideration, page 230

   2 more examples

   ‘They had a right barney,’ Dexter said with glee, between mouthfuls. ‘Bloke wouldn′t go. Said he′d write to his MP.’

   2009, Neville Conway, An Ornament to His Profession, page 45

   ‘[…]I bet there was a right barney over her wearing a dress that exposed the rose tattoo!’ Turner concluded with a laugh.

   2010, Michael White, The Art of Murder, unnumbered page

5. AustraliaUKslangA minor physical fight.

   I got stuck in the middle of a real barney between a couple of tough coppers and a handful of hairy protesters, and I didn't enjoy it one single bit.

   1982, Ruth Dudley Edwards, Corridors of Death, page 157

   2 more examples

   But he doesn't seem to be so — so angry all the time, and it's ages since he and Aunt Annie had a real barney, with flying fists and screechings, that sort of thing.

   2010, Katie Flynn, The Liverpool Rose, page 200

   ‘I heard this crash, like the door was being kicked in, and then a load of shoutin′ an′ crashin′ about, like someone was havin' a real barney.’

   2011, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, Killing Time

6. BostonUSdialectalA student at Harvard University.

   There goes that fuckin' Barney right now, with his fuckin' "skiin' trip." We should'a kicked that dude's ass.

   1997, Damon, Matt; Affleck, Ben, Good Will Hunting, spoken by Morgan O'Mally (Casey Affleck)

7. broadcastingSynonym of blimp (“a soundproof cover for a video camera”).

   You can create your own blimp or barney with anything that will deaden the camera noise, such as a changing bag, foam rubber, […]

   2015, Peter W. Rea, David K. Irving, Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video, page 209

   Synonyms: blimp

comparative more barney · superlative most barney

1. UKobsoleteslanginsane crazy, loony.

   Synonyms: quarrel, or see Thesaurus:dispute, scuffle, or see Thesaurus:fight, fisticuffs

present singular third person barneys · participle present barneying · participle past barneyed · past barneyed

1. obsoleteHarvard University slangTo recite badly; to fail.First known use c. 1810

   What avails it to make a shine in Greek if the next hour one does a barney in calculus.

   1947, Samuel Hopkins Adams, Banner by the Wayside

2. AustraliaUKTo argue, to quarrel.

   Synonyms: bicker

plural barneys

1. USderogatoryslangA police officer, usually one who is inferior or overzealous.

   She called the town Mayberry. She said Barney Fife was in charge.

   2005 March 3, “Scott Peterson's sister speaks out”, in MSNBC, archived from the original on 02 May 2012

   Synonyms: pig, or see Thesaurus:police officer, fed

plural Barneys

1. A male given name:
   1. countableuncountableA male given name transferred from the surname.
   2. countableuncountableA diminutive of the male given names Barnabas, Barnaby, Bernard, and Barnett.
   3. countableuncountableA male given name from Old English.
2. A surname:
   1. countableuncountableA surname transferred from the given name.
   2. countableuncountableA surname from Old English [in turn from placenames] from the place name Barney, Old English "barn/barley island".
   3. countableuncountableA surname from Old English [in turn transferred from the given name].
3. A placename:
   1. countableuncountableA village in Fulmodeston parish, North Norfolk district, Norfolk, England (OS grid ref TF9932).
   2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Faulkner County, Arkansas.
   3. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Brooks County, Georgia.
   4. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Madison County, Iowa.
   5. countableuncountableA minor city in Richland County, North Dakota.

plural Barneys

1. A television character popular among children, especially one who is a vividly colored animal mascot.

   Grimace, the Barney of Gen X.

   2023 June 16, docpepson, “McDonalds Grimace”, in reddit.com

   2 more examples

   She's not joking [bitch] when she says she wants to be the Barney of drag!

   2019 May 25, caterpillarmiss, “Nina is so Disney she brought her own character mascot”, in reddit.com

   Everyone knew, nobody cared. At least the kids didn’t. The stick up the arse parents probably would have, but Pee-Wee was pretty much the Barney of the Gen-X era. As per usual, they weren’t paying attention anyway.

   2025 January 28, mpete76, “Paul Reubens (aka Peewee Herman) comes out *posthumously*”, in reddit.com