Lucky Larry

I found myself wondering about the origins of the phrase ' as happy as Larry' today.  Mainly because I wanted to use the phrase 'as happy as Larry', and had one of those odd born-and-grew-up-in-Australia-but-now-live-in-the-UK moments where I realised that people might have no idea what I meant.

Those moments happen a lot, by the way.  I've lived here for so long now that most of the time I  genuinely forget that it hasn't always been the case.  But every now and then I'm jolted back to reality by a cultural reference I completely miss, or one I try to make and find it is missed by everyone else.

Anyway. Larry. No one knows for sure who he is but the top contender is Larry Foley, an Australian bare-knuckle boxer who was supposed to become a priest but took up boxing instead, married twice (both times to a woman called Mary, which must have made things a lot simpler, especially since his mum was also called Mary), had eight kids and retired at the age of 32.  He remained undefeated during his career but only because his last fight (against an opponent much bigger and heavier than him) had to be abandoned before it was finished, after a group of his fans stormed the ring.