heads or harps
(Ireland) heads or tails.
ˈhɛdz ˈɔɹ ˈhɑɹpsDocumented since 1800sSilenthistorical45 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
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Born ~1805 · no dated citations yet19th centurySee decade cohort →
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#1·Apr 27, 2026
(Ireland) heads or tails.
A quarrel happened between two shoeblacks, who were playing at what in England is called pitch farthing, or heads and tails, and in Ireland, head or harp.
Origin: thumb|Head and harp of an 1805 Irish penny Copper coins minted in Georgian Ireland had the head of the British monarch on the obverse and the Irish harp on the reverse. The phrase "heads or harps" remained common even after 1823, when Irish minting ceased and only British coinage circulated; it was still current when the Irish Free State restored the harp on its newly introduced coins in 1927. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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