Kilroy

North America a mythical person, popularized by American servicemen in World War II, who left such inscriptions as “Kilroy was here” on walls all over the world.

Etymology: of the many unverifiable accounts of the source of the term, one claims that James J. Kilroy of Halifax, Massachusetts, a shipyard employee, wrote “Kilroy was here” on sections of warships after inspection; the phrase is said to have been reproduced by shipyard workers who entered the armed services.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.