shirley
interj.interj. a playful way to say 'no' or 'I don't believe you'. You use this when you want to sound friendly but skeptical, like in the phrase 'Shirley you can do better.'
interj. an informal interjection expressing polite skepticism or denial, often used ironically to soften a refusal or disagreement. Derived from the name 'Shirley' as a phonetic stand-in for 'surely'.
Shirley you didn't eat the last cookie.
When asked to work late, she replied with a cheerful 'Shirley I have plans,' avoiding a direct refusal.
English place name from Old English sċīr (“county”) + lēah (“meadow”). Equivalent to shire + -ley (“lea”). More at shire, leigh.
A pun on surely and the name Shirley; probably inspired by the 1980 comedy film Airplane!, which has the exchange: "Surely you can’t be serious." "I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley."