English

Noun

purler ‎(plural purlers)

1. (Britain, colloquial) A headlong fall or tumble.

   He came a purler on the icy path.

   • 1869, “Stonehenge” (editor), The Coursing Calendar for the Autumn Season 1868, Containing Returns of All the Public Courses Run in Great Britain snd Ireland, page 172,

     Dilston and Savernake: the latter led, and turned, but in trying to kill came down a purler, which completely knocked all the go out of him; Dilston took possession of the hare, and kept it, winning the course in hollow style.

   • 1954, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Listener, Volume 51, page 67,

     Her French-speaking table in the dining-room is a riot of second-rate behaviour and dexterously aimed bread-pellets; the stairs outside her bedroom are relentlessly buttered and she comes purler after purler.

   • 1986, Judith Saxton (Katie Flynn), Family Feeling, 2012, unnumbered page,

     Yet he was very sure that he had tripped and gone a purler just as he was leaving the Other Place . . . had that made him gash his forehead, once he was back in the pit?

   • 2003, Susan Hill, The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read, The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read: And Other Stories, 2011, unnumbered page,

     ‘You could hold the ladder,’ Mart said, ‘see I don′t come a purler.’

2. (Britain, colloquial) A knockdown blow; a blow that causes a person to fall headlong.
   • 1867, Ouida (Maria Louise Ramé), Under Two Flags, 2006, page 60,

     […] but, falling with a mighty crash, gave him a purler on the opposite side, and was within an inch of striking him dead with his hoof in frantic struggles to recover.

Synonyms

• (headlong fall or tumble):
• (incapacitating blow): king hit (Australian)

See also

• come a cropper

Etymology 2

Uncertain.

Alternative forms

• pearler

Noun

purler ‎(plural purlers)

1. (Australia, colloquial) Something extremely good.
   • 2000 May 12, peter.ryan, “Top3 best games of all time”, in aus.sport.aussie-rules, Usenet:

     The greatest game ever played is the one marketed with that tag by Australian Football Video:  the 1989 round 6 match at Prince's Park between Hawthorn and Geelong, an awesome display of the skills of the game.  It is doubtful whether two such great sides had ever graced a single season as the Hawks and the Cats did in 1989.  The return match in September was a bit of a purler too, as I recall.

   • 2008 December 24, George W, “Best way to transport wreck Syd-Tsv.”, in aus.motorcycles, Usenet:

     And just when I had a slight thought that there could be a "Lets be nice to George Week"
     And you come along with that purler.