happy as Larry

English

Etymology

This has been said to refer to the Australian boxer Larry Foley (1849–1917), who never lost a fight. This is not likely as the earliest reference to the phrase is in a letter to the editor of the Illawarra Mercury in Wollongong, Australia in 1857. In it the correspondent "G U A" (probably Dr. George Underwood Alley, known for regularly corresponding with newspapers) writes "...we'll all live together, like Brown's cows, and be as happy as Larry."

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Adjective

(as) happy as Larry

1. (simile, informal) Extremely happy and carefree.

Synonyms

• see Thesaurus:happy

Translations

extremely happy and carefree

• Spanish: feliz como una perdiz, más feliz que una perdiz