barney

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bäʹni, IPA^(key): /ˈbɑːni/
• (General American) enPR: bäɹʹni, IPA^(key): /ˈbɑɹni/

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ni

Etymology unknown. Often incorrectly thought to be Cockney rhyming slang from "Barney Rubble" ( "trouble", from the character Barney Rubble on The Flintstones), it actually dates back to the 19th century and its origin is unknown.

barney (plural barneys)

1. (obsolete, Britain, slang) A lark, a romp, some fun.
2. (obsolete, Britain, slang) A hoax, a humbug, something that is not genuine, a rigged or unfair sporting contest.
   • 1865, Brierley, Benjamin, Irkdale‎, volume 2, page 19:

     "Just keep it i' thy mind," entreated the other, as a sort of parting remembrance, "ut I won thee i' fair powell—one toss an' no barney. […] "

   • 1882 September 2, Evening News, column 6, page 1:

     Blackguardly barneys called boxing competitions.

   • 1884 April 13, The Referee, column 4, page 7:

     Who would believe that Mr. Gladstone shammed being ill, and that Sir Andrew Clark issued false bulletins, and that the whole thing was a barney from beginning to end.

3. (obsolete, Harvard University slang) A poor recitation. [c. 1810]
4. (Britain, Australia) A noisy argument.
   • 2007, Brooks, Dave, For Nil Consideration‎, page 230:

     Gary and Mum went mental, and Gary phoned them up and had a right Barney with them.

   • 2009, Conway, Neville, An Ornament to His Profession‎, page 45:

     ‘They had a right barney,’ Dexter said with glee, between mouthfuls. ‘Bloke wouldn′t go. Said he′d write to his MP.’

   • 2010, White, Michael, The Art of Murder‎, unnumbered page:

     ‘ […] I bet there was a right barney over her wearing a dress that exposed the rose tattoo!’ Turner concluded with a laugh.

5. (Britain, Australia) A minor physical fight.
   • 1982, Edwards, Ruth Dudley, Corridors of Death‎, page 157:

     I got stuck in the middle of a real barney between a couple of tough coppers and a handful of hairy protesters, and I didn't enjoy it one single bit.

   • 2010, Flynn, Katie, The Liverpool Rose‎, page 200:

     But he doesn't seem to be so — so angry all the time, and it's ages since he and Aunt Annie had a real barney, with flying fists and screechings, that sort of thing.

   • 2011, Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia, Killing Time‎:

     ‘I heard this crash, like the door was being kicked in, and then a load of shoutin′ an′ crashin′ about, like someone was havin' a real barney.’

6. (US dialectal, Boston) A student at Harvard University.
   • 1997, Casey Affleck as Morgan O'Mally, Good Will Hunting, written by Damon, Matt and Affleck, Ben:

     There goes that fuckin' Barney right now, with his fuckin' "skiin' trip." We should'a kicked that dude's ass.

barney (comparative more barney, superlative most barney)

1. (obsolete, Britain, slang) insane crazy, loony.

• (noisy argument): quarrel, row, or see Thesaurus:dispute
• (fight): fisticuffs, scuffle, or see Thesaurus:fight

barney (third-person singular simple present barneys, present participle barneying, simple past and past participle barneyed)

1. (obsolete, Harvard University slang) To recite badly; to fail. [c. 1810]
   • 1947, Adams, Samuel Hopkins, Banner by the Wayside:

     What avails it to make a shine in Greek if the next hour one does a barney in calculus.

2. (Britain, Australia) To argue, to quarrel.

• (argue): bicker, have a barney, row, squabble, or see Thesaurus:squabble

• Hall, Benjamin Homer (1851) A Collection of College Words and Customs‎, page 15
• “barney” in Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors, A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant, volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: The Ballantyne Press, 1889–1890, pages 81–82.
• Farmer, John Stephen (1890) Slang and Its Analogues‎, volume 1, page 129

From the character Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

barney (plural barneys)

1. (US, pejorative slang) A police officer, usually one perceived as inferior or overzealous.
   • 2005, “Scott Peterson's sister speaks out”, in (Please provide the title of the work)‎, MSNBC, March 3, 2005: “Foo”

• (police officer): fed, pig, or see Thesaurus:police officer

• brayne, nearby