flying purple people eater

English

Alternative forms

• flying purple people-eater

Etymology

From The Purple People Eater, a song by Sheb Wooley, which describes the titular creature as a "flying purple people eater".

Noun

flying purple people eater (plural flying purple people eaters)

1. (US) A fanciful monster.
   • 2001, James D. Johnson, Combat chaplain: a thirty-year Vietnam battle, page 181:

     He exits quickly, looking like he's just seen the one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater. "Some gooks are in there!"

   • 2003, Darcy O'Brien, The Hillside Stranglers, page 249:

     I used to be afraid to go to bed at night — the name was "one-eyed, one-eared flying purple people-eater."

   • 2005, Eugena Pilek, Cooperstown, page 74:

     "Something ate the middle." / "I don't suppose that something was the flying purple people eater?" Chylak said. / He knew this scenario well: next Elliott would demand that his Happy Days night-light be left on all night

   • 2007, Cody Lundin with Russell Miller and Christopher Marchetti, When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes, page 47:

     Being rushed by a hungry, one-eyed, one-armed flying purple people eater and its pet Zygot, however, will cause very high levels of SNS action

Synonyms

• boogeyman

See also

• Purple People Eater on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Purple People Eaters on Wikipedia.Wikipedia