"I feel a right Charlie"

[BeckyBismuth]

Anyone heard this phrase before? I haven't. I think it's strange, and Charlie-ist. My cousin has a son called Charlie, I have two friends called Charlotte who go by Charli/Charlie too and they were annoyed by it.

I think as sayings go, it is cute. I try hard not to swear, and get laughed at for saying "flipping fluffing heck" or similar.
My mum used to say " and I felt like a right lemon" and I've never understood that one.

There would have had to be someone well-known in London with the name of Charlie Hunt for it to make any sense, and unless he was quite famous then it would never have spread outside the East End anyway. I also looked it up and read what you did. Chances are that this is just a wild stab in the dark. My parents were born in London in the 1920's and knew Cockney rhyming slang well. Both used 'proper Charlie' and they certainly wouldn't have done if was rhyming slang for what people are suggesting.

I'm not sure it is Cockney rhyming slang at all. It is most likely to be derived from Charlie Chaplin as he was born in London and his parents were both music hall entertainers. His father was also called Charlie.

See also 'silly Billy' - and he was King William IV so no rhyming slang there either.

A proper Charlie I remember it as.

I don’t think it was. It is/was generally an affectionate tease, whereas calling someone a Karen is a misogynistic attempt to put middle age women back in their box.