different between nary vs narky

English

Alternative forms

• narry

Etymology

Variant form of ne'er a.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?n???i/
• (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• Rhymes: -???i

Adverb

nary (not comparable)

1. Not, never.
   • 2014, Richard Swenson, More Than Meets the Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design, Tyndale House (?ISBN)

     Every day, uncomplaining, this ten-ounce muscle contracts 100 thousand times nary “missing a beat.” Over a lifetime of faithful service, these two self-lubricating, self-regulating, high-capacity pumps beat two and one-half billion times […]

   • 1923, Photoplay: The Aristocrat of Motion Picture Magazines

     And all about the room, candles gleaming in branched sconces. Nary one glare of electric light.

   • 2019 December 10, Yacht Club Games, "Story" (Mr. Hat), in Shovel Knight Showdown (version 4.1), Nintendo Switch:

Adjective

nary (not comparable)

1. Not any.
   • 1910, John McElroy, Si Klegg: Experiences of Si and Shorty on the Great Tullahoma Campaign, page 109:

     We'uns wuz willin't fout fur ole Tennessee, but for nary other State. When he started out o' Tennessee we'uns jest concluded t' strike out and leave him.

   • 1961 March 20, Flannery O'Connor, letter to Maryat Lee, [ublished in 1988, The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (?ISBN):

     I'm cheered you liked [“The Partridge Festival”] but I must have it back as I have nary other copy. If you really want to read somebody, read Proust for pity's sake.

   • 2010, Dorothy McCleary, Not for Heaven, Wildside Press LLC (?ISBN), page 289:

     "Pish, and who cares for nary other?" Mrs. Bostwick cried out, tossing Etta's hand away from her. "I do, for one," said Etta tartly.

Translations

References

• nary at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Arny, N-ray, NYRA, Ryan, yarn

English

Etymology

From nark +? -y.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n??ki/

Adjective

narky (comparative narkier, superlative narkiest)

1. (Britain, Australia, Ireland, slang) Irritated, in a bad mood; disparaging.
   • 1995, Linda Grant, The Cast Iron Shore, Granta, 1998, page 61,

     The war had made Stan narkier than ever.

   • 2003, Justine Larbalestier, A Buffy Confession, Glenn Yeffeth (editor), Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Discuss Their Favorite Television Show, BenBella Books, US, page 83,

     I?m now one of those people I used to defend the show against. There is no one more bitter than an ex-true believer. Color me narky and picky.

   • 2005, Maxim Jakubowski (editor), The Best British Mysteries 2005, page 191,

     It was a special request and Mrs. Fleming had to do it all on the spot, so that?s made her even more narky than usual.

   • 2005, Mark Latham, The Latham Diaries, page 141,

     Foolishly, I went to the National Right dinner last night. What a narky, miserable bunch of sods.

   • 2008, Amanda Brunker, Champagne Kisses, page 46,

     I had to endure the narkiest taxi driver complaining about ‘Foreign lads takin? taxi plates’, who then managed to test my patience even more by leaving me a good walk from Parker?s apartment block.

   • 2008, Claudia Carroll, Do You Want to Know a Secret?, Random House, UK, unnumbered page,

     Age is definitely making me narkier. The only difference between me and my moany Auntie Maisie is a plaid shopping trolley and a tracheotomy.

Derived terms

• narkiness

Anagrams

• Karyn, kyarn, kyarn'