purler

plural purlers

1. UKcolloquialA headlong fall or tumble.

   He came a purler on the icy path.

   4 more examples

   1869, “Stonehenge” (editor), The Coursing Calendar for the Autumn Season 1868, Containing Returns of All the Public Courses Run in Great Britain snd Ireland, page 172, Dilston and Savernake: the latter led, and turned, but in trying to kill came down a purler, which completely knocked all the go out of him; Dilston took possession of the hare, and kept it, winning the course in hollow style.

   Her French-speaking table in the dining-room is a riot of second-rate behaviour and dexterously aimed bread-pellets; the stairs outside her bedroom are relentlessly buttered and she comes purler after purler.

   1954, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Listener, volume 51, page 67

   1986, Judith Saxton (Katie Flynn), Family Feeling, 2012, unnumbered page, Yet he was very sure that he had tripped and gone a purler just as he was leaving the Other Place . . . had that made him gash his forehead, once he was back in the pit?

   ‘You could hold the ladder,’ Mart said, ‘see I don′t come a purler.’

   2003, Susan Hill, The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read: The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read: And Other Stories, published 2011, unnumbered page

2. UKcolloquialA knockdown blow; a blow that causes a person to fall headlong.

   [The horse] falling with a mighty crash, gave him a purler on the opposite side, and was within an ace of striking him dead with his hoof in frantic struggles to recover.

   1867, Ouida [pseudonym; Maria Louise Ramé], “The End of a Ringing Run”, in Under Two Flags: A Story of the Household and the Desert. […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 119

   Synonyms: king hit

plural purlers · alternative pearler

1. AustraliacolloquialSomething extremely good.

   And just when I had a slight thought that there could be a "Lets be nice to George Week" And you come along with that purler.

   2008 December 24, George W, “Best way to transport wreck Syd-Tsv.”, in aus.motorcycles (Usenet)

   1 more example

   The greatest game ever played is the one marketed with that tag by Australian Football Video: the 1989 round 6 match at Prince's Park between Hawthorn and Geelong, an awesome display of the skills of the game. It is doubtful whether two such great sides had ever graced a single season as the Hawks and the Cats did in 1989. The return match in September was a bit of a purler too, as I recall.

   2000 May 12, peter.ryan, “Top3 best games of all time”, in aus.sport.aussie-rules (Usenet)