The term Nosey Parker isn’t recorded until 1907. The term
nosey for someone inquisitive, figuratively always sticking their nose
into other people’s affairs, is a little older, dating back to the
1880s. Before that, anyone called nosey was just somebody with a big
nose, like the Duke of Wellington, nicknamed Old Nosey.
An alternative suggestion, put forward by Eric Partridge in his Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, was that the saying dates from the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park
in 1851. Large numbers of people attended the Exhibition, so there
would have been lots of opportunities for peeping Toms and
eavesdroppers in the grounds. The word parker has since medieval times
been used for an official in charge of a park, a park-keeper. The term
was used informally for the royal park-keepers who supervised Hyde Park
at the time of the Great Exhibition. So the saying might conceivably
have been applied to a nosey park-keeper.
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable,
suggests that the phrase nosey Parker was originally nose-poker. A
poker, used in the sense of somebody who pokes into another’s affairs,
has a long history, well pre-dating the nineteenth century appearance
of nosey Parker. It’s possible that nose-poker became modified with the
second element being converted into a proper name.
[edit] In popular culture
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2008)
"Nosey Parker" is a Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons song.
"Now I go cleaning windows to earn an honest bob / For a nosey parker it's an interesting job" is a lyric from "The Window Cleaner" popularized by George Formby.
"Nosey Parker" was also spoken by W.C. Fields in the movie My Little Chickadee in the scene which he gambles, "cuts high card," with a man for $100.
"Nosey Parker" was a weekly strip cartoon appearing in the Scottish Sunday newspaper "The Sunday Post"
"Alright Mr. Nosey Parker..." is spoken by a character played by Minnie Driver to a character played by Matt Damon in the film Good Will Hunting.
The character Alan Strang in the play Equus by Peter Shaffer,
repeatedly refers to his psychiatrist Dr. Dysart as a "nosey parker"
when asked a question he doesn't want to answer.
In the film, "9 1/2 Weeks", John (Mickey Rourke), during a telephone
call asked Elizabeth (Kim Basinger) if she was being a "Nosey Parker"
after she had just dug through his closet and drawers while being left
alone in his apartment.
In the book 'The Land of Green Ginger', there is a Nosey Parker who
lives in a cave and tells fortunes in exchange for silver coins (which
he discards to the back of his cave, after biting them to ascertain
their authenticity).
--- On Fri, 5/8/09, Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: question (UK)
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 3:55 PM
Probably I should have spelt it "nosy parker" . Another theory has to
do
with the guardian of Hyde Park at the time of the Great Exhibition 1851 (?)
having to check all the freaks & perverts snooping around hoping for a
glimpse of - whatever. But Judy's story has precedence. It was a very
common
term in my youf. The most damning insult I ever received was at grammar
school - two mates (guys, blokes, chaps) took me aside & told my about my
bad character, the main point being that I wore my heart on my sleeve, which
is the complementary position to nosy parker = voyeur (there were plenty of
them hanging about on the commons & in the parks, never bothered me...
Creator - A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
H.L.Mencken
----- Original Message -----
From: Judy Prince
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 8:18 PM
Subject: Re: question (UK)
Wow. Just last night reading about Norwich, Norfolk, I came across info
about Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury during QE1's reign. The
source [not providing citations] said that one of Parker's duties; viz, to
oversee the clerics, earned him the name "Nosy Parker". A nother
source I
googled for citations, though, gives several source-possibilities for the
phrase: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nos2.htm
Parker's library [holding many manuscripts from HVIII's
monastery-dismantling days] must be a fascinating repository.
Best,
JP
2009/5/8 Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]>
> Yes, in fact, nosey parker!
> mj
> Creator - A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
> H.L.Mencken
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Judy Prince
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 7:23 PM
> Subject: Re: question (UK)
>
>
> Speaking for yourself?
> JP
>
> 2009/5/8 Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]>
>
> <snip> - remember: sexual
> > intercourse began in 1963 etc.
> > mj
> > Creator - A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
> > H.L.Mencken
> >
>
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