adj. (vulgar).—A corruption of ‘obstreperous.’
1748. SMOLLETT, Roderick Random, viii. I heard him very OBSTROPULOUS in his sleep. Ibid. (1762), Sir Launcelot Greaves, II. iv. He has been mortally OBSTROPULOUS, and out of his senses all this blessed day.
1773. GOLDSMITH, She Stoops to Conquer, iii. 1. I’m sure you did not treat Miss Hardcastle, that was here awhile ago, in this OBSTROPOLOUS manner.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. OIL.
1847. HALLIWELL, A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, etc., s.v. OBSTROPOLOUS. I was going my rounds and found this here gemman very OBSTROPOLOUS … Genuine London dialect.
1876. G. R. SIMS, Dagonet Ballads (‘Moll Jarvis o’ Morley’). But their minds is so awful perwerted—they’re such an OBSTROPOLOUS pack.
