Who was 'Happy as Larry'?
Question
When my kids are playing up, I tell my kids "Let's be happy as Larry". But who is Larry and what's he so happy about?Charlotte, Finchley
Answer
Name: Ray, OrpingtonAnswer: It's a bit of a guess, but informed guesswork. A larrikin is an Australian slang for a hooligan. I would say that larrikin comes from lark, so if larrikin means hooligan, they were drunk and therefore happy.
(James O'Brien: I've never heard such nonsense in my life!)
** Definitive **
Name: Vicky, Walthamstow
Qualification: I have a book!
Answer: I've got a fantastic book here, the dictionary of phrase and fable, which is definitive. It means very happy and it is indeed an Australian expression, although it has been suggested that the original Larry may have been Larry Foley the boxer. But it also says that the word may be related to larrikin.