dilly

American  

[dil-ee] / ˈdɪl i /

noun

Informal.

plural

dillies

1. something or someone regarded as remarkable, unusual, etc..

   a dilly of a movie.

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dilly ¹ British  

/ ˈdɪlɪ /

noun

1. slang a person or thing that is remarkable

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dilly ² British  

/ ˈdɪlɪ /

adjective

1. slang silly

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Etymology

Origin of dilly

An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10; it was at first an adjective: “wonderful,” apparently a shortening of delicious, with -y ¹ (now taken as -y ² )

Example Sentences

Jackie Smook has spent years crafting characters and props for “Dilly’s World,” her whimsical web series and touring theatrical show about a girl confronting big issues with the help of some puppet friends.

From Los Angeles Times

As the work began, I kept spotting people I knew of from Cambridge—the classics scholar Dilly Knox, the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing.

From Literature

“Show them Dilly’s idea. By Jove, give them some hope!”

From Literature

Marching in front of me is the classics scholar Dilly Knox, who must be near sixty, and John, who works with me in Hut 6.

From Literature

Dilly Knox is known to be quite prickly about interruptions.

From Literature