jolly

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
jolly1

▶adjective (jollier, jolliest) happy and cheerful.

■ informal lively and entertaining.

▶verb (jollies, jollying, jollied) informal encourage in a friendly way.

■ (jolly someone/thing up) make someone or something more jolly.

▶adverb Brit. informal very. ▶noun (pl. jollies) Brit. informal a party or celebration.

– phrases
get one's jollies informal have a good time; have fun.
jolly well Brit. informal used for emphasis: I should jolly well hope so!

– derivatives
jollily adverb,
jolliness noun.

– origin ME: from OFr. jolif, an earlier form of joli ‘pretty’, perh. from ON jól (see Yule).

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
jolly2 (also jolly boat)

▶noun (pl. jollies) a clinker-built ship's boat that is smaller than a cutter.

– origin C18: perh. rel. to yawl.