From Middle English parles, parlous, perlous, [and other forms], a contraction of perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”) (and thus a doublet of perilous), from Old French perilleus, perillos, perillous, perilluse, perilleuse, perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”) (modern French périlleux), from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”), from perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go through, carry forth, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).
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Attended with peril; dangerous, risky.
The situation became parlous when the weather made resupply impossible.
[B]ables and comedies are parlous fellowes to decipher, and diſcourage men (that is the point) with their wittie flowtes and learned jerkes, enough to laſh any man out of countenance.1593, Gabriell Haruey [i.e., Gabriel Harvey], Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. […] (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London]: [s.n.], [1870], →OCLC, page 137:
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The tongue is a sharp and parlous weapon, which we are bound to keep up in the sheath, or never to draw forth but advisedly, and upon just occasion; it must ever be wielded with caution and care: to brandish it wantonly, to lay about with it blindly and furiously, to slash and smite therewith any that happeth to come in our way, doth argue malice or madness.a. 1678, Isaac Barrow, “Sermon XVII. The Folly of Slander.”, in The Theological Works of Isaac Barrow, D.D. […], volume I (Containing Twenty-four Sermons on Several Occasions), Oxford, Oxfordshire: University Press, published 1830, →OCLC, paragraph 6, pages 502–503:
The safest way in such a parlous doubt, / Is steady watch and keep a sharp look out.1807 December, C[harles] Lamb, “Epilogue to Time’s a Tell-tale”, in The Literary Panorama. Being a Review of Books, Magazine of Varieties, and Annual Register; …, volume III, London: […] Cox, Son, and Baylis, […], for C. Taylor, […], published March 1808, →OCLC, article III, column 607:
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Appalling, dire, terrible.
in a parlous state
All whiche offences and mysdemenors abovesaid have bene commytted to the grete hurte and undoyng of your orator, and the right evill and parlous example, [etc.]; […]1520, Thomas Worthyngton, “No. LXXV”, in William Brown, editor, Yorkshire Star Chamber Proceedings (The Yorkshire Archæological Society Record Series; LI), volume III, [Leeds, West Yorkshire]: […] [J. Whitehead and Son] for the [Yorkshire Archaeological] Society, published 1914, →OCLC, page 178:
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The preſent panges and parlous thoughts, / That pearceth troubled minds: / Is knowne to none but ſuch I ſay, / That lacke of freedome finds.1593, [Thomas] Churchyard, “A Dollfvll Discovrse of a Great Lord and a Ladie. […]”, in Chvrchyards Challenge, London: […] John Wolfe, →OCLC, page 262:
[Nick] Bot[tom]. There are things in this Comedy of Piramus and Thisby, that will neuer pleaſe. Firſt, Piramus muſt draw a ſword to kill himſelfe; which the Ladys cannot abide. How anſwer you that? / [Tom] Snout. Berlaken, a parlous feare.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
Thou haſt a parlous judgement; but let that paſſe, / She is as truly vertuous, faire, and noble, / As her great Mother's good; and that's not ordinary.c. 1619–1623, John Fletcher, “Women Pleas’d”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 25, column 1:
Isa. Y'are a parlous Fool. Ant. No danger in me: I bring nought but Love1622 (first performance), Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, The Changeling: […], London: […] [Thomas Newcombe] for Humphrey Moseley, […], published 1653, →OCLC, Act III, signature E2, verso:
A parlous Boy: go too, you are too ſhrew'd.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 185, column 1:
[O]h their parlous fellows, they will ſearch more with their wits than a Cunſtable with all his officers.1607, W. S. [attributed to Thomas Middleton or William Shakespeare (doubtful)], The Pvritaine. Or The VViddovv of Watling-streete. […], imprinted at London: By G[eorge] Eld, →OCLC, Act III:
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This Midas knew: and durſt communicate / To none but to his wife his ears of ſtate: / One muſt be truſted, and he thought her fit, / As paſſing prudent, and a parlous wit.a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “[Tales from [Geoffrey] Chaucer] The Wife of Bath, Her Tale”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume III, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 222:
The Patten, Fan, and Petticoat, / Three modern Themes of ſpecial Note, / In parlous rimes immortal live, / If rimes immortal life can give; […]1720, N[icholas] Amhurst, “The Bottle-scrue. A Tale”, in Poems on Several Occasions. […], London: […] R. Francklin, […], →OCLC, page 105:
From Middle English parles, parlous, perlous, [and other forms], a contraction of perilous (“dangerous; dreadful, terrible; morally corrupt, sinful, wicked; inauspicious, unlucky”) (and thus a doublet of perilous), from Old French perilleus, perillos, perillous, perilluse, perilleuse, perilleux (“very dangerous, perilous”) (modern French périlleux), from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous, hazardous, perilous”), from perīculum (“danger, hazard, peril, risk”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go through, carry forth, try”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives).
[L]ast week I had a distinctly unpleasant experience, and came parlous near qualifying as a beachcomber. [...] I cast round, trying one or two charming little hotels within reasonable radius, only to find the "house full" boards up everywhere.1919 August 6, Gerald Biss, “A Warning to Tourists: Shortage of Hotel Room”, in Bruce Ingram, editor, The Sketch, volume CVII, number 1384, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch, →OCLC, page 210: