Meaning of play Old Harry | Babel Free

Definitions

To play the devil; to make mischief.

idiomatic

Examples

“By his accent and innocent style I detected he was not a colonial, so I got him to relate⟳ his history. He was an Englishman by birth, but had been to America, Spain, New Zealand, Tasmania, &c.; by his own⟳ make⟳ out had ever been a man of note⟳, and had played Old Harry everywhere.”

“Blenkiron and I have⟳ been moving in the best circles as skilled American engineers who are going to play⟳ Old Harry with the British on the Tigris.”

“I distinguish five more general classes: but I am far from equally happy about all of them. They are, however, quite enough to play⟳ Old Harry with two fetishes which I admit⟳ to an inclination to play⟳ Old Harry with, viz. (1) the true/false fetish, (2) the value/fact fetish.'”

CEFR level