Holy Roller

English Alternative forms en holy roller Etymology From the practice of some devout Pentecostals who would roll on the floor of the church in response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Pronunciation hō′lē rō′lər; en /ˌhəʊ̯.li ˈɹəʊ̯.lə(ɹ)/ en /ˌhəʊ̯.liː ˈɹəʊ̯.lə/ RP en LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Holy Roller.wav Southern England en /ˌhoʊ̯.li ˈɹoʊ̯.ləɹ/ GenAm,CanE en /ˌhəʉ̯.liː ˈɹəʉ̯.lə/ AuE en /ˌhɐʉ̯.liː ˈɹɐʉ̯.lə/ NZE en /ˌho.li ˈɹo.ləɾ/ ScE en /ˌhoː.liː ˈɾoː.lɜː(ɾ)/ /ˌhoː.liː ˈɾoː.ləɾ/ InE en Ho ly Roll er Noun ~[H:h]oly;[R:r]oller en informal en usually derogatory A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church. en Holy Jumper en I attended a worship service where I was astounded to see holy rollers convulsing on the floor and speaking in tongues. en 1911 w:Joe Hill w:The Preacher and the Slave Holy Rollers and Jumpers come out / And they holler, they jump and they shout / Give your money to Jesus, they say / He will cure all diseases today Also there are the "Holy Rollers" and "Holy Jumpers", ghastly sects which cultivate the religious hysterias, and have spread like a plague among the women of our lonely prairie farms and desert ranches. en w:John Updike 'Rabbit, Run' 1960 20 He told her the Methodist had at last broken down and cut the strip of grass himself. Mother believed it but wasn't pleased; she talked all the rest of the day and off and on all week about suing the old holy-roller. en Essay: Are the WASPS Coming Back? Have They Ever Been Away? Time 1969-01-17 http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,838862,00.html 0040-781X At the narrowest, Wasps form a select band of well-heeled, well-descended members of the Eastern Establishment; at the widest, they include Okies and Snopeses, "Holy Rollers" and hillbillies. https://web.archive.org/web/20240504223726/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,838862,00.html 4 May 2024 en 1989 Leon Capetanos Hal Holbrook Hamilton Johnson w:Fletch Lives They took advantage of her, these holy rollers. When she was at death's door, they preyed on her faith and her fear. When she was no longer able to make rational decisions, persuaded her to give away our land for that amusement park. en derogatory A devoutly religious Christian person. en She's such a holy roller that she steers every conversation around to the joys of religion. Translations member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour Esperanto: eo Finnish: fi hihhuli Hungarian: hu Ido: io Interlingua: ia Italian: it Navajo: nv daachxago ndaamaasí, nv diyin naaʼnaʼí Volapük: vo derogative: devoutly religious person Esperanto: eo Finnish: fi hihhuli Hungarian: hu szentfazék Ido: io Interlingua: ia Italian: it bigotto bigòtto m Navajo: nv Volapük: vo See also en Holy Ghoster Further reading en Christianity People