Posted by Robert Hill on 08/08/00 from 129.11.153.35 via proxy proxy1.leeds.ac.uk:
In Reply to: Re: Picts and Martyrs Oddities posted by Ed Kiser on August 08, 2000 at 05:13:35:
Ed seems to have encountered a not very observant waitress.
In general, people in the UK, Oz, NZ etc are much more familiar with
American usages than vice versa, because we see so many US films and
TV shows.
Incidentally, the usage of "jolly" as an adjective meaning "cheerful"
or "jovial" (or as Ed says, "very happy") is also the main usage of the
word here. "Jolly Roger" for the skull-and-crossbones presumably comes
ironically from this. As a natural extension of this it can mean
"slightly drunk".
Its usage as an adverb meaning "very" is an additional meaning, and has
a slightly old-fashioned, boarding-school tinge. The word also has
other meanings as a noun and verb related to these. And I believe it
used to have another meaning as "sailor", from which "jolly-boat" comes.