paul pry

A man known as a Paul Pry listens at a neighbor's door.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A curious or inquisitive person: "Paul Pry" refers to someone who is overly curious, nosy, or intrusive into the private affairs of others. The term originates from the name of a character in a 19th-century play who constantly meddles in other people's business.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She is such a Paul Pry; she always listens in on other people's conversations. (She is an excessively curious person who intrudes on private matters.)
  • Don't be a Paul Pry—respect others' privacy. (Do not be nosy or meddlesome.)

Advanced Usage

• "to play the Paul Pry": to act in a nosy or meddlesome manner.
  • He played the Paul Pry by asking too many personal questions. (He behaved as an overly curious or intrusive person.)

Variants and Related Words

• Paul Pryism (noun): the habit or practice of being overly curious or meddlesome.
  • Her constant Paul Pryism annoyed her colleagues. (Her nosy behaviour irritated her coworkers.)

Synonyms

• Busybody: a person who meddles in the affairs of others.
• Snoop: someone who secretly watches or investigates others' private matters.
• Meddler: a person who interferes in others' business without invitation.

Related Idioms

• Stick one's nose into: to interfere or show curiosity in matters that do not concern one.
  • He always sticks his nose into other people's business, just like a Paul Pry. (He is nosy and intrusive.)

Notes on Usage

• "Paul Pry" is typically used as a proper noun (capitalized) and is considered somewhat dated or literary. It is most often found in formal or humorous contexts to describe a person who is annoyingly curious.