Nosey parker

Posted by James Briggs on March 10, 2010 at 11:05

In Reply to: Nosey parker posted by Victoria S Dennis on March 09, 2010 at 19:49:

: : I was surprised not to find the origin of the phrase "nosey parker" here. Does anyone know its etymology?

: Nosey Parker: noun, mainly British. An inquisitive person. 1907 -. D. Craig All nosey parkers in this street (1974 ). [Said to have been applied originally as a nickname to a man who spied on courting couples in Hyde Park, London .]

: (From The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang in English Language Reference)

Here's Michael Quinnion's take on the phrase.
www.worldwidewords.org/ qa/qa-nos2.htm

• Nosey Parker

• Nosey parker Gary Martin 10/March/10