English
pony
see also: Pony
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈpəʊni/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈpoʊni/
1659 from Scots powny, apparently from Middle French poulenet ("little foal"), ultimately from Late Latin pullanus ("young of an animal"), from pullus (cognate to English foal). Noun

pony (plural ponies)

  1. A small horse; specifically, any of several small breeds of horse under 14.2 hands at the withers.
  2. (regional) A small serving of an alcoholic beverage, especially beer.
    • 1879, “Some Queer Interviews: Interview with a Pony of Beer”, Puck, Vol. 5–6, p. 435 ↗
    • 1885, New York Journal, August:
      ‘I’m on the inside track,’ said a pony of beer as it went galloping down a man’s throat.
    • 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin 2011, p. 193:
      Demon popped into his mouth a last morsel of black bread with elastic samlet, gulped down a last pony of vodka and took his place at the table with Marina facing him across its oblong length.
    • 2010, Dick Lynas, Pies Were for Thursdays: Tales from an Ordinary Glasgow East End Childhood, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=WJomHm2v_n8C&pg=PA283&dq=%22pony%22|%22ponies%22+beer+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zn7kT4GAHMzHmQWgmeSCCw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22pony%22|%22ponies%22%20beer%20-intitle%3A%22%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false page 283],
      I did not even know what a ‘pony’, a small chaser of beer, was. But of course I could not admit that. So putting on an air of nonchalance, and a deep voice, I strolled into a pub with one of the other equally naive guys and we ordered two ponies of beer.
      ‘McEwans?’ asked the barman.
      ‘Naw - ponies’ said I.
  3. (Australia, New South Wales, Victoria) A serving of 140 millilitres of beer (formerly 5 fl oz); a quarter pint.
  4. (UK, slang) Twenty-five pounds sterling.
  5. (US, slang) A translation used as a study aid; loosely, a crib, a cheat-sheet.
    • 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Library of America, 1985, p.104:
      She kept the dates written down in her Latin 'pony', so she didn't have to bother about who it was.
Synonyms Translations Verb

pony (ponies, present participle ponying; past and past participle ponied)

  1. (transitive) To lead (a horse) from another horse.
  2. To use a crib or cheat-sheet in translating.
Adjective

pony (not comparable)

  1. (Cockney rhyming slang) Of little worth.
Noun

pony (plural ponies)

  1. (Cockney rhyming slang) Crap; rubbish, nonsense.
Pony
Proper noun
  1. An athletic shoe or other piece of athletic gear of an American-based brand of that name.


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