jolly well
- idiom
- /ˈdʒɒli wɛl/
- UK
:
bien
- You jolly well stay where you are!
Examples
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- You know, I think I jolly well shall.
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We'll jolly well have to.
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Well, it jolly well was.
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- I think you jolly well should.
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I should jolly well think so.
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If a fellow has an idea, he jolly well ought to follow it up.
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It's mine, and I'll jolly well run it my way whether you care for it or not.
Blog text (32) -
Well, what if I should jolly well decide to cancel my membership then?
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Tomorrow, we'll jolly well have a picnic, and after I've paid up the tractor, we'll use the extra pennies for ginger beer.
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You jolly well need to finish your homework before going out.
Antonyms
How Emphatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
jolly + well
The phrase combines 'jolly' (an informal intensifier/cheerful) with 'well' (an adverb), so there is a visible link to emphasis; a learner who knows these senses can suspect some emphatic meaning. However, the specific force and colloquial usage of 'jolly well' (strong certainty or admonishment) is somewhat idiomatic and not fully predictable from the literal meanings, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The adverb jolly well probably comes from putting jolly, meaning 'very' or 'cheerful', together with well to make a louder, stronger phrase. Imagine someone saying it firmly to show they are sure or annoyed, and that's why it now means 'with strong certainty' or 'determined'.