Paul Pry

A nosy, meddlesome person. The phrase refers to the title character of a 19th-century play by John Poole. Come on, Paul Pry, stop asking so many questions about my personal life!

See also: Paul, pry

See also:

References in periodicals archive ?

L-R: Madame Vestris dressed as Paul in Paul and Virginia, PS200-300; Derby figure of John Liston as Van Dunder and a Staffordshire porcelain figure of the same actor as Paul Pry, PS150-250; two pearlware figures of John Lister as Van Dunder and Madame Vestris as the Broom Girl, estimate PS200-300; a Derby figure of Richard III, PS100-200

Whatever happened to the Likely Lad's thespian figurines? Best known for TV and stage roles, actor Rodney Bewes also had a passion for ceramics, and his fine collection is to be auctioned off

However, some of the best colour caricatures of Wellington were produced by a short-lived artist who signed himself 'Paul Pry' after the comic theatrical busybody.

From 1827 to 1829 Heath signed his drawings with a tiny image of the celebrated comic actor John Liston in the role of Paul Pry, the meddling nosey parker character from John Poole's popular 1825 farce of the same name.

Paul Pry's noble duke: Mark Bryant describes how a nosey parker drew some inspiration from Old Nosey's career

"He [Southey] conceives that the business of the magistrate is not merely to see that the persons and property of the people are secure from attack, but that he ought to be a jack-of-all-trades--architect, engineer, school-master, merchant, theologian, a Lady Bountiful in every parish, a Paul Pry in every house, spying, eavesdropping, relieving, admonishing, spending our money for us, and choosing our opinions for us.

Confessions of a Macaulay Fan

C., the newspaper Paul Pry, which was succeeded by The Huntress.

Royall, Anne Newport (1769-1854)

At the age of 61 she started the weekly Paul Pry, possibly taking the name from an English play that exposed the alliance of church and state.