the name "Larry"

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is it me or is it always associated with laziness, or wastrel type behaviour, in popular culture?

I had this joke with my friends based on that Dolores O'Riordan story where her husband apparently screamed at the nanny "you don't get it do you??? I am Bono in this family, not Larry!". We would basically defined Larry as "a leader not a follower, someone who is lazy, going nowhere, a larry can never be a bono".

However I told this to another friend recently and he suggested that in American sitcoms there were lots of Larrys who fitted this description, and then I said Larry seems like the name of someone who breezes through life in overly comfortable cheap slacks, and he said "leisure suit larry" which I had never thought of before.

anyway this thread is a bit "zany" but I think there's a kernel of truth behind it.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:06 (twenty years ago)

I do, too.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:10 (twenty years ago)

Ronan, I think you're right to indict American culture for this: the first Larrys I thought of were Leisure Suit Larry and Three's Company Larry.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:11 (twenty years ago)

But what about Balki?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago)

i thought of recent hockey hall of fame inductee larry murphy

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago)

I am reminded of Mary Gross's Dr Ruth impersonation on Saturday Night Live. Every time she took a call, regardless of the caller's name, she called him Larry.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago)

cahzin LAHRRY!! (xpost)

― stockholm balki (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago)

Larry Fishburne went with "Laurence" as he got older.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago)

Larry David doesn't help either.

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:13 (twenty years ago)

Also my friend Larry in high school, by far the 'zaniest' dude in our grade. Maybe it's a performative thing, like when non-French Marcel's turn out to be gay anyway?

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:13 (twenty years ago)

Men Called Larry

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:14 (twenty years ago)

Larry Olivier

― Masked Gazza, Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:14 (twenty years ago)

I also invariably think of my grandma calling for my uncle Larry in this ridiculous whiny voice: LAAAAREEE. Said uncle doesn't really fit the description otherwise, but my grandma adds the zany touch.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:15 (twenty years ago)

this yadood named Larry harassed me on myspace once
so I let him have it

he was so pwn3d, but too stupid to realize it

― LORD OF ALL THINGS HOMOELECTRONIC (trigonalmayhem), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:16 (twenty years ago)

Also, the fact that it rhymes with 'hairy' subtly reinforces the greaseball/cheap slacks theme. Three's Company Larry always kept his shirt unbuttoned.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:17 (twenty years ago)

http://www.bluntpencil.com/Larry%20King.gif

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:17 (twenty years ago)

what about men called harry?

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:18 (twenty years ago)

And hairy men called Larry?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:18 (twenty years ago)

In a way I kind of like the name though. it's funny when you do something and a friend is like "you LARRY!"

x-post what about men called Lairy

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:19 (twenty years ago)

Homonyms don't count.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:19 (twenty years ago)

i think it's the arry. barry is similar but more for a soap opera star.

― youn, Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:20 (twenty years ago)

what, no

http://www.threescompany.com/tcompany/www/images/larry.gif

― sgs (sgs), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:21 (twenty years ago)

Terry? Cary? Gary? Shari? Thierry?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:21 (twenty years ago)

Sub-question? What's the worst first name-cum-perjorative?

I do like 'Larry' but I would have to give my vote to 'Wally'.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:21 (twenty years ago)

Dick.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:22 (twenty years ago)

I don't know why I put a question mark after Sub-question, it just is.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:22 (twenty years ago)

Oh right.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:22 (twenty years ago)

I forget that some people are actually named that.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:23 (twenty years ago)

gary yeah, but more for a professor. (xpost)

― youn, Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:24 (twenty years ago)

whoops. I missed you already gave Larry props up there mark p.

― sgs (sgs), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:25 (twenty years ago)

a friend of mine has a nickname for fun-hating know-it-alls who ruin other people's conversational flow/jokes/trivia highs by correcting them on some minor point: "ned." as in "i KNOW a bird can eat twice its weight. don't be such a ned."

the real "ned" that this refers to is neither a raggett nor a flanders.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:25 (twenty years ago)

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=acqua+di+gio/v=2/SID=e/l=IVI/SIG=11t27gvkt/*-http%3A//senteurs.free.fr/assets/images/acqua_di_gio_h.jpg

This guy's name is Larry.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:25 (twenty years ago)

I don't think Larry is pure pejorative, I think it has a sort of affectionate caddish element to it.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:26 (twenty years ago)

http://www.tapeop.com/PHOTOS/larry.jpg

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:28 (twenty years ago)

Larrys?
ihttp://felt.planetaclix.pt/Pictures/images/l_drkglasses.jpg
ihttp://www.allposters.com/IMAGES/73/039_30624.jpg

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:29 (twenty years ago)

http://www.brmovie.com/Images/People/william_sanderson_as_larry.jpg

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:30 (twenty years ago)

http://simpsons.metropoliglobal.com/famosos/4F05RodneyDangerfield.jpg

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:35 (twenty years ago)

hahaha that larry of the darrells cracked me up!

― sgs (sgs), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:00 (twenty years ago)

http://www.bl.uk/collections/britirish/images/durrell_small.jpg

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:31 (twenty years ago)

all men with this name frequent prostitutes. nothing will dissuede me from this assumption.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:37 (twenty years ago)

Dissuede? As opposed to Datsuede?

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:39 (twenty years ago)

it's like ultrasuede but off-putting

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:40 (twenty years ago)

Now I have an image of a cross between Ultraman and a doctor wearing ersatz cow hide clothing in blatant disregard of his clubhouse's rules as he heads off to putt.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:42 (twenty years ago)

http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/m/Elizabeth%20Montgomery/David%20White%20portrait.JPG

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Friday, 3 December 2004 02:36 (twenty years ago)

http://www.fadetoblack.com/interviews/larrybudmelman/maintitle.gif

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 3 December 2004 02:40 (twenty years ago)

it's because Larrys are people who feel uncomfortable being Lawrences

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 3 December 2004 02:43 (twenty years ago)

http://my-autographs.de/hagman_3.jpg

― papa november (papa november), Friday, 3 December 2004 02:50 (twenty years ago)

why do dan perry and I always think alike with these kind of questions?

answer: We are old.

― TOMBOT, Friday, 3 December 2004 02:55 (twenty years ago)

larry hagman is VERY badass.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 3 December 2004 03:01 (twenty years ago)

from what i saw of his e true hollywood story

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 3 December 2004 03:02 (twenty years ago)

the 80s were different

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 3 December 2004 03:03 (twenty years ago)

http://www.ojaifilmfestival.com/archives/2002/images/pressphoto/Hagman.jpg

like i was saying

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 3 December 2004 03:07 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

http://www.telstudies.org/guide/printed/images/ALD4.JPG

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 10 July 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

filmmaker larry fessenden:

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/archives/online_features/images/fessendon.gif

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 July 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

ehh i guess

― cousin larry bundgee (bundgee), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Amateur(ist), he's not Larry of Arabia.

But think if he was.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

like that Kaiser Chiefs/I Predict a Riot song.. "watching the people get larry/is not very pretty, i tell thee"? wtf that mean?

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:31 (twenty years ago)

That would be "lairy" not "larry". Which is to say, being like Maxwell out of Big Brother after a few beers. Loud, boorish, annoying.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

oh.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=larry+bird/v=2/SID=e/TID=I052_84/l=IVS/SIG=12e6qrr0m/EXP=1121105049/*-http%3A//www.nba.com/media/history/magic_bird_308_930204.jpg

Then there's that guy on the right.

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 10 July 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)

Amateur(ist), he's not Larry of Arabia.

i know! but imagine the historical implications...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

is not very pretty, i tell thee

I always sing this as "is not very pretty Italian."

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 10 July 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-W9rhQj6Peafof56Pt2BgkVoScu8eEQ8VFFWYD_wuk5ekRxZFlg

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Thursday, 19 April 2012 09:33 (thirteen years ago)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9PCV29skTtU/TgvkNFrf5cI/AAAAAAAABao/tGvN4mUADpg/s1600/larry-fischer-456cm062011.jpg

― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 April 2012 11:17 (thirteen years ago)

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