> Paul
> 
> Paul po(hook)l. Also 4 Poul, Poule; genitive 4 Powlys, 4-6 Poules,
> 5-7 Paules, 6 Pawles, Powlles, 6-7 Powles, 6-8 Pauls, 7- Paul's. a.
> OFr. Pol, mod.Fr. Paul = Ital. Paolo, Sp. Pablo:-L. Paulum, in nom.
> Paulus.
> 
> 1. The English form of the Latin personal name Paulus, well known as
> that of the `Apostle of the Gentiles' (Acts xiii. 9). Used in
> proverbial phrases in conjunction with Peter, q.v.
> 
> 2. tr. It. Paolo, Paul. The paolo, an obsolete Italian silver coin,
> worth about fivepence sterling.
> 
>    * 1767 Sterne Tr. Shandy IX. xxiv, I paid five Pauls for two hard
>      eggs.
> 
>    * 1854 Lowell Jrnl. in Italy Pr. Wks. 1890 I. 191 You give the
>      custode a paul for showing you the wolf that suckled Romulus
>      and Remus.
> 
> 3.
> 
> a.
> 
> Paul Pry
> 
> Paul Pry: name of a very inquisitive character in a U.S. song of
> 1820; often used allusively (also attrib.).
> 
>    * 1829 Macaulay Southey's Colloq. Soc. Ess. (1887) 118 The
>      magistrate..ought to be a perfect jack-of-all-trades..a Paul
>      Pry in every house, spying, eaves-dropping, relieving,
>      admonishing [etc.].
> 
>    * A. 1845 Hood Tale of Trumpet xi, She had much of the spirit
>      that lies Perdu in a notable set of Paul Prys.
> 
>    * 1870 Miss Bridgman Rob. Lynne II. i. 4 It will cure her of her
>      Paul-Pry tricks.
> 
>    * 1882 Encycl. Brit. XIV. 695/2 Paul Pry,..always his [Liston's]
>      most popular part, soon became to many a real personage.
> 
>    * 1897 Pall Mall Mag. Nov. 311 Some of the Paul Prys of the
>      parish had intercepted the flyman.
> 
>    * 1928 E. Wallace Double xiii. 208 There are lots of quiet little
>      nooks and places where a fellow can sit without a lot of Paul
>      Prys seeing him.
> 
>    * 1934 Sun (Baltimore) 27 Apr. 12/2 The Senate's theory that the
>      way to enforce the tax laws is to give the Paul Prys of every
>      community access to the private details of every man's gross
>      and net income.
> 
>    * 1956 H. G. de Lisser Cup & Lip ix. 109 It would be ruinous to a
>      doctor to be known as a paul pry.
> 
>    * 1978 H. C. Rae Sullivan i. ii. 24 Twenty-five thousand
>      dollars?.. It's the going rate for a quiet investigation, a
>      straight Paul Pry?
> 
> b. Hence
> 
> Paul-Pry
> 
> Paul-Pry v. intr., to behave like Paul Pry; to be impertinently
> inquisitive or prying; also
> 
> Paul-Prying
> 
> Paul-Prying vbl. sb.;
> 
> Paul Pryism
> 
> Paul Pryism, the conduct of a Paul Pry.
> 
>    * 1839 Marryat Diary Amer. Ser. i. I. 110 Others mounting..and
>      Paul Prying into the bed-room windows.
> 
>    * 1865 H. Kingsley Hillyars & Burtons xxx, Who the deuce are you,
>      cross-questioning and Paul-Prying?
> 
>    * 1927 Daily Express 6 Oct. 8/2 These restrictions were imposed
>      during the war... Their maintenance to-day is simply part of
>      that fussy Paul Pryism which covers the State with ridicule.
> 
>    * 1960 Times 4 Mar. 13/7 The straitest champion of marital
>      fidelity would, surely, not defend such monstrous Paul Prying.

> Found: 15 entries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
>   1.  bountiful (1830) Macaulay Southey's Colloq., Ess. (1854) I.
>      109/1 ``He [the magistrate] ought to be..a Lady Bountiful in
>      every parish, a Paul Pry in every house. ''
>   2.  Paul (1829) Macaulay Southey's Colloq. Soc. Ess. (1887) 118
>      ``The magistrate..ought to be a perfect jack-of-all-trades..a
>      Paul Pry in every house, spying, eaves-dropping, relieving,
>      admonishing [etc.]. ''
>   3.  Paul (A. 1845) Hood Tale of Trumpet xi, ``She had much of the
>      spirit that lies Perdu in a notable set of Paul Prys. ''
>   4.  Paul (1882) Encycl. Brit. XIV. 695/2 ``Paul Pry,..always his
>      [Liston's] most popular part, soon became to many a real
>      personage. ''
>   5.  Paul (1897) Pall Mall Mag. Nov. 311 ``Some of the Paul Prys of
>      the parish had intercepted the flyman. ''
>   6.  Paul (1928) E. Wallace Double xiii. 208 ``There are lots of
>      quiet little nooks and places where a fellow can sit without a
>      lot of Paul Prys seeing him. ''
>   7.  Paul (1934) Sun (Baltimore) 27 Apr. 12/2 ``The Senate's theory
>      that the way to enforce the tax laws is to give the Paul Prys
>      of every community access to the private details of every man's
>      gross and net income. ''
>   8.  Paul (1956) H. G. de Lisser Cup &. Lip ix. 109 ``It would be
>      ruinous to a doctor to be known as a paul pry. ''
>   9.  Paul (1978) H. C. Rae Sullivan i. ii. 24 ``Twenty-five
>      thousand dollars?.. It's the going rate for a quiet
>      investigation, a straight Paul Pry?''
>  10.  Paul (1839) Marryat Diary Amer. Ser. i. I. 110 ``Others
>      mounting..and Paul Prying into the bed-room windows. ''
>  11.  Paul (1927) Daily Express 6 Oct. 8/2 ``These restrictions were
>      imposed during the war... Their maintenance to-day is simply
>      part of that fussy Paul Pryism which covers the State with
>      ridicule. ''
>  12.  Paul (1960) Times 4 Mar. 13/7 ``The straitest champion of
>      marital fidelity would, surely, not defend such monstrous Paul
>      Prying.''
>  13.  peeping (1933) Week-End Rev. 8 July 34/2, ``I can assure you
>      that neither reporters nor sub-editors find satisfaction in
>      playing the rô. le of Paul Pry or Nosey Parker or Peeping Tom.
>      ''
>  14.  picklock (1889) Daily News 3 Dec. 7/2 ``She called him a
>      `picklock' and a `Paul Pry'.''
>  15.  picture (C. 1825) J. Poole Paul Pry i. ii. 13 ``There is a
>      general shout of `Paul Pry'. Picture, and act closes.''