cully

He's a real cully, always laughing at his own silly jokes.

Definition

1. Noun (dated slang):
   • A dupe or fool: "cully" refers to a person who is easily tricked or cheated, especially in the context of confidence schemes or gambling.
   • A companion or friend: In older slang, "cully" could also mean a close friend or associate, though this usage is now rare.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The swindler found an easy cully in the newcomer. (The newcomer was easily deceived.)
  • He's a good cully; I've known him since childhood. (He is a good friend; I have known him since childhood.)

Advanced Usage

• In literary contexts: The word "cully" appears in 18th and 19th-century English literature, particularly in works about rogues, thieves, or the criminal underworld.
  • "The cully bit the bait and lost his purse." (The fool was tricked and lost his money.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cullibility (n): the state or quality of being easily deceived; gullibility. (Derived from "cully" by analogy with "gullibility.")
  • His cullibility made him a target for con artists. (His gullibility made him an easy mark.)

Synonyms

• Dupe: a person who is easily deceived or tricked.
• Gull: a person who is easily cheated (archaic).
• Pigeon: a person who is swindled, especially in gambling (slang).

Related Idioms

• To play the cully: to act as a fool or dupe, especially in a scheme.
  • He played the cully for the gang, pretending to be naive. (He acted as the fool deliberately to aid the scheme.)