hard word

hard word (plural hard words)

1. (now chiefly in the plural) An unkind word or comment; an insult. [from 13th c.]
   • 1891, Bram Stoker, Snake's Pass:

     He would send the hard word round the country about me and my leman.

2. (literally) A word which is difficult to understand or spell. [from 16th c.]
3. (Ireland, Australia) A tip-off, or piece of inside information; a password. [from 19th c.]
   • 1834 [1830], William Carleton, “Shane Fadh's Wedding”, in Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, 3rd edition, Dublin: William Frederick Wakeman, pages 179–180:

     […] but, I don't know how it was, I didn't at all feel comfortable with the priests; for you see I'd rather sport my day figure with the boys and girls upon the green: so I gives Jack the hard word,* and in we went, when, behold you, there was Father Corrigan planted upon the side of a Settle, Mary along with him, […]

   • 1973, Patrick O'Brian, HMS Surprise:

     My Parsee […] assured me that if only he had the hard word about Linois's whereabouts, he and his associates would make lakh upon lakh of rupees.

4. (UK, Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) A persistent or rude request, especially for money. [from 20th c.]
   • 2003, Peter Robb, A Death in Brazil, Bloomsbury, published 2005, page 97:

     The other thing that happened in 1969 was that José put the hard word on his brother again. This time José wanted him to join his slate for the elections to the local leadership of the metalworkers' union.

   • 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 125:

     What do we do? We go and see them. Put the hard word on Glasgow's so-called hard men.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:hard word.