a. Also 6 -li, 7 -lie, -ley. [Altered spelling of SIRLY a.]
† 1. ? Lordly, majestic. Obs. rare.
1566. Drant, trans. Horace, Sat., I. ii. B j b. How he doth decke, and dighte His surlye corps in rytche aray.
† 2. Masterful, imperious; haughty, arrogant, supercilious. Obs.
c. 1572. I. B., in Gascoigne, Posies (1575). The sauerie sappes in Gascoignes Flowers that are,… Could not content the surly for their share, Ne cause them once to yeeld him thankes therefore.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 4. I have not shoun mi self so surli towards mi inferiors.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., July, 203. Sike syrlye shepheards. [Glosse] Surly, stately and prowde.
1589. Puttenham, Engl. Poesie, III. xxiv. (Arb.), 299. With the great personages his egals to be solemne and surly, with meaner men pleasant and popular.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 163. Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with seruants.
1682. Dryden, Medal, 31. The surly Commons shall respect deny. Ibid. (1697), Virg. Past., IX. 6. When the grim Captain in a surly Tone Cries out, pack up ye Rascals, and be gone.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XXIII. 50. Stern as the surly lion o’er his prey.
† b. as adv. Obs.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. iii. 21. Against the Capitoll I met a Lyon, Who glaz’d vpon me, and went surly by, Without annoying me.
1693. R. Lyde, Acc. Retaking ‘Friend’s Adv.,’ 10. Those that carried themselves most surly towards me.
3. Churlishly ill-humored; rude and cross; ‘gloomily morose’ (J.). Said of persons (or animals), or their actions or attributes.
1670. Ray, Prov., 208. As surly as a butchers dog.
1677. Otway, Cheats of Scapin, I. i. Thou art as surly as if thou really couldst do me no good.
1722. De Foe, Col. Jack (1840), 7. Captain Jack … a surly, ill-looked rough boy, had not a word in his mouth that savoured either of good manners, or good humour.
1757. Smollett, Reprisal, I. i. Commend me to the blunt sincerity of the true surly British mastiff.
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vill., 105. Nor surly porter stands in guilty state.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., III. 245. And surly beggars cursed the ever-bolted door.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, xvi. A surly, grumbling manner.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., xix. A surly voice asked who was there.
1884. F. M. Crawford, Rom. Singer, ix. I. 187. Dry throats make surly answers, as the proverb says.
b. as sb. (quasi proper name). nonce-use.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., v. Well, well, old surly,… thou art an honest fellow.
4. fig. from 2 and 3: † ‘Imperious,’ stern and rough (obs.); (of soil, etc.) obstinate, refractory, intractable; (of weather, etc.) rough and gloomy, threatening and dismal.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., lxxi. You shall heare the surly sullen bell Giue warning to the world that I am fled From this vile world.
1646. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. (Grosart), I. 69. The Lawes Of Surly fate.
1654. Tuckney, Death Disarmed, 24. Seneca according to his surly stoical principle would persuade himself … that it is ill to desire death.
1662. R. Mathew, Unl. Alch., § 86. 120. Surly griefs, as Sciatica and Gout in the feet.
a. 1668. Lassels, Voy. Italy (1698), I. 46. Our horses eased us, the ascent not being so surly as we expected.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., II. 195. In a surly Season.
1696. Prior, To the King after Discov. Conspiracy, 70. By sounding Trumpets, mark, and surly Drums, When William to the open Vengeance comes.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 154. Before the surly Clod resists the Rake.
1733. W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 11. Their surly Clay Grounds.
1784. Burns, Man made to Mourn, i. Chill November’s surly blast.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxiii. 16. The surly salt seas.
1881. C. Whitehead, Hops, 19. Where the marls on the chalk are somewhat less surly and intractable.
1901. Eugene Wood, in Puritan, IX. 865/1. Rifted in the straight, flat, surly clouds.
5. Comb., as surly-browed, -sounding adjs.; surly-boots [cf. lazy-boots, sly-boots], an appellation for a surly person; † surly-borne a., haughty in bearing or demeanor.
1710. Fanatick Feast, 12. Old *Surly-Boots … threw off his Cloak.
1812. Combe, Syntax, Picturesque, xxii. When Surly-boots yawn’d wide, and spoke.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., II. iii. 249. Vliss. If he were proud. Diom. Or couetous of praise. Vliss. I, or *surley borne.
a. 1618. Sylvester, Panaretus, 1373. So swelling-proud; so *surly-brow’d the while.
1833. T. Hook, Parson’s Dau., III. i. The *surly-sounding mandate.
