Roly-poly

And he hates rabbit, and never touches roly-poly, and I must say the beef isn't over tender; […] Dinner began and proceeded till the last piece of the roly-poly pudding was consumed, though not by Cyril; […]

This is, indeed, an awful meal, and we have as yet only reached the joint, and there is a detestable, indigestible, unswallowable jam roly-poly to follow.

A roly-poly had found his way inside the house; I reasoned that the tiny varmint had crawled up the steps. […] The creatures are no more than an inch long, and when you touch them they roll themselves into a tight gray ball.

Terrestrial isopods, commonly known as pill bugs, sow bugs, or roly-polys, are generally familiar to most of us.

From the window, she sees them discover a colony of roly-polies (tiny gray bugs that roll into miniature balls in the presence of danger). She delights in the wonder and fun of the children as they play gently with the tiny bugs.

[Romy Tinkle] What is that thing, Quincy?! / [Quincy Tinkle] Um … It's a giant Rolly Polly (Pill Bug). It's been living entirely on my body-building protein powder, apparently!!

Ile haue thee in league vvith theſe tvvo rovvly povvlies: they ſhal be thy Damons and thou their Pithy-aſſe; […]

Hovv novv, good man ſlaue? vvhat, Rovvle Povvle? all riuals, Raſcal?

Go to: I vvill not bate him an ace on't. / VVhat? Rovvle-povvle? Maple-face? All Fellovvs?

If this be your Play (quoth John) that vve may not be like a Quaker's dumb Meeting, let us begin ſome Diverſion; vvhat d'ye think of Rouly-Pouly, or a Country-Dance?

Often I did view the shade / Where once a nest my eyes did fill, / And often mark'd the place I play'd / At "roly poly" down the hill.

This is one of the games prohibited by Edward IV.; and received its denomination from being played with one half of a sphere of wood. Half-bowl is practised to this day in Hertfordshire, where it is commonly called rolly-polly; and it is best performed upon the floor of a room, especially if it be smooth and level. There are fifteen small pins of a conical form required for this pastime; […] the bowl, when delivered, must pass above the pins, and round the end-pin, without the circle, before it beats any of them down; if not, the cast is forfeited: […]

ROLY-POLY, or NINE HOLES, a game of ball played by any number of persons, generally nine. […] The Roller tries to roll the ball into one of the holes. If he makes three consecutive misses, a pebble is placed in his hole. […] Roly Poly is a very old English game. It is sometimes played in England with hats instead of holes, and it is then often called Egg Hat. In this case the ball is pitched instead of rolled.

"Gee, we can play Roly Poly," argued John. "We can play right in this room." / "Sure," agreed Bobby. "All we'll have to do is to make our triangle and bowling lines."

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That if any Perſon or Perſons whatſoever ſhall, after the ſaid Twenty fourth Day of June, One thouſand ſeven hundred and forty five, play at the ſaid Game of Roulet, otherwiſe Roly-poly, or at any Game of Chance with Cards or Dice, already prohibited by Law, every ſuch Perſon or Perſons ſo offending, ſhall alſo incur the Pains and Penalties, and be liable to ſuch Proſecution, as is directed in and by an Act made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of His preſent Majeſty, intituled, An Act for the more effectual preventing exceſſive and deceitful Gaming.

"Oh! Mother, Mother, there has been an old man rat in the dairy—a dreadful 'normous big rat, mother; and he's stolen a pat of butter and the rolling-pin." […] "A rolling-pin?" said Ribby. "Did we not hear a roly-poly noise in the attic when we were looking into that chest?" Ribby and Tabitha rushed upstairs again. Sure enough the roly-poly noise was still going on quite distinctly under the attic floor.

Seianus bowed, the awkward roly-poly jerk of the fat man.

She had been waiting for the little roly-poly man to tumble and roll along the deck, and had been mentally indulging her sense of humour on the scene.

He ducked back down the alley / With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl

Tom Kitten bit and spat, and mewed and wriggled; and the rolling-pin went roly-poly, roly; roly, poly, roly.

At your pleaſure thats rare; then rovvlie, povvlie, our vviues ſhall lye at your commaund: […]