a. (adv.) Obs. [Origin obscure: perhaps orig. a reduplication or rhyming expansion of rory, ROARY, f. ROAR sb. or v. The Eng. Dial. Dict. cites it from S. Lancash. as meaning ‘a state of hurry or excitement.’ After 1680 it was sometimes abusively associated with TORY sb.; but there can hardly have been any original connection. Reference to the Irish tories or outlaws and marauders is chronologically possible, but not evidenced.]
1. Roaring, uproarious, roistering, boisterous; in quots. 1694, 1716 with allusion to TORY A. 2, 3.
1678. Dryden, Limberham, I. i. And, before George, I grew tory rory, as they say. Ibid., IV. i. Sing like nightingales, you tory-rory jades.
1678. Otway, Friendship in F., II. i. Methinks you look like two as roring, ranting tory rory Sparks as one would wish to meet withal.
[1681. O. Heywood, Diaries, etc., 24 Oct. Theres a book called the character of a Tory wherin it runs, A Tory, a Whory, a Roary, a Scory, a Sory.]
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. Pantagr. Progn., v. 237. Swaggering Huffsnuffs,… Tory-tory Rakes and Tantivy-boys.
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 337. From a Tory-Rory-Boy, be is become a cool-temper’d Wig.
2. Ruffianly (like the Irish tories, or Judge Jeffreys).
1682. Mrs. Behn, City Heiress, 52. Some damn’d Tory-rory Rogues, to rob a man at his Prayers!
1822. Parr, Lett. to Hill, 25 Jan., Wks. 1828, VII. 605. Servile and corrupt judges, prejudiced and perjured juries, merciless jailors and a tory-rory hangman.
B. adv. In a roaring or uproarious manner; boisterously, rantingly, roisteringly.
It may have been the name of a rowdy song or tune.
1664. Cotton, Scarron., IV. (1715), 97. Roaring and drinking tory-rory.
[1667. Dryden & Davenant, Tempest, IV. iii. I found her an hour ago under an elder tree,… singing Tory Rory, and Rantum Scantum, with her own natural brother.]
1673. Shadwell, Epsom Wells, II. i. We were at it Tory Rory, and Sung old Rose, the Song that you love so.
Hence † Tory-rory v. Obs., intr. to behave uproariously.
1685. Crowne, Sir C. Nice, IV. 43. Well the house is our own, and the Night our own,… we’l Tory-rory, and ’tis—a fine Night, we’l Revel in the Garden.
