loblolly

English

Alternative forms

lob-lolly, lob lolly, loblollie, lob-lollie, loplolly

Etymology

From Yorkshire dialect lob (“boil”, literally “bubbling up”) + dialect lolly (“broth”).

Noun

loblolly (countable and uncountable, plural loblollies)

1. (dialect, nautical) Gruel.
2. (UK, dialect) A thick stew; lobscouse or similar.
3. (US, southern) A mudhole.
   • 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 122:

     he and Narcissa paddled and splashed with tucked-up garments and muddy bottoms, after the crudest of whittled boats, or made loblollies by treading and treading in one spot with the intense oblivion of alchemists.

4. (now mostly dialect) A bumpkin or lout.
   • 1675, Lucian (trans. Charles Cotton), Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The scoffer scoft, 86

     Whil'st he, not dreaming of thy folly,

     Lies gaping like a great Lob-lolly

   • 1694, François Rabelais, (trans. Thomas Urquhart and Peter Antony Motteux), The Fourth Book.

     This also is to be as silly as that jolt-headed loblolly of a carter, who, having laid his waggon fast in a slough, down on his marrow-bones was calling on the strong-backed deity, Hercules, might and main, to help him at a dead lift, but all the while forgot to goad on his oxen and lay his shoulder to the wheels, as it behoved him; as if a Lord have mercy upon us alone would have got his cart out of the mire.

   • 1777, Charles Shadwell, "The fair quaker of deal", in Bell's British Theatre, pages 21 to 22, OCLC 2986037.

     If he would force the surgeon to cure us at the government's charge, it would be a mighty encouragement to us; but our rogue of a loblolly doctor, being not satisfied with his two-pences, must have a note for two months pay for every cure [...]

   • 1914, Macmillan's Annual, page 46, OCLC 609887069

     A yellow-eyed collie

     Was guarding his coat-

     Loose-limbed and lob-lolly,

     But wise and remote.

   • 1920, Jeffery Farnol, Black Bartlemy's Treasure, published 2004, →ISBN, page 62:

     [...] there's this great, lob-lolly, hectoring Tom Button fast i' the pillory [...]

   • 1932, Journal of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, volume 80, page 185:

     There was a wave of slackness, and young men preferred to remain lob-lolly lesser Hindus than to follow their fathers' stern creed.

   • 1946, George Bagshawe Harrison, A Jocobean Journal, page 176, OCLC 14246203.

     This lob-lolly would for ever be making love to ladies, to the no small gain of the pages, whou would feign to bring him commendations and tokens from the ladies in return for angels.

   • 2007, H. J. Popowski, All A Young Man Could Ask For, →ISBN, page 7:

     When he heard a rumour circulating amongst the Irish lob-lolly gangs of track layers, he caught a ride on the Pennsylvania and Eastern [...]

5. Loblolly pine, Pinus taeda.
6. Loblolly bay (plant).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• loblolly bay
• loblolly boy
• loblolly pine
• loblolly tree

Verb

loblolly (third-person singular simple present loblollies, present participle loblollying, simple past and past participle loblollied)

1. To behave in a loutish manner.
   • 1898, William Black, Wild Eelin, page 174, OCLC 2066856.

     You'd rather lob-lolly about these refreshment-rooms, and stuff yourselves until you can't stir.