Baileys
1
3.7
- proper noun
:
los Bailey
- Even though they know the Baileys never made a dime out of it.
Examples
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I met the Baileys last summer while we were on vacation.
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BILLY: Old, old friend of the Baileys.
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The Baileys were all chumps.
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We've got to ask the Baileys.
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Another big red-letter day for the Baileys.
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A little farther down the street lived the Baileys, whose marriage was hanging together by the slimmest thread.
Fiction book (1995) -
On a visit to the Baileys, Revel observes through the living-room window Rose arranging flowers on the dining table (61).
Academic text (2003) -
Uncle Billy brandishes Potter's newspaper, boasting about the headlines telling of his nephew's congressional medal, relishing the fact that the Baileys cannot be kept down.
Fiction book (1995) -
The Baileys always host the best holiday gatherings.
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Everyone in town knows the Baileys for their kindness and generosity.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Baileys = Bailey (transparent) = Bailey + s
Regular plural formation of the family name 'Bailey' to refer to the members of the family, a pattern learners readily recognise.
Etymology
Baileys used for a family comes from the family name Bailey, which long ago meant a 'bailiff' or came from the 'bailey', the outer area of a castle. So 'the Baileys' simply means the people who share that family name.