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wowser

noun
/ˈwaʊzə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From UK dialect. In the pro-temperance sense, Australian from early 1900s. John Norton, an early enemy of wowsers (temperance sense), claimed it to be an acronym for "We Only Want Social Evils Remedied", but that is likely a folk etymology. A story has it that gospellers in the streets of Clunes, Victoria in the 1870s were called rousers but one of the town councillors had a speech impediment and couldn't pronounce his "R"s, thus giving wowser. (Reference: Bill Wannan, Australian Folklore, Lansdowne Press, 1970, reprint 1979 →ISBN, under "Wowser", page 568.)

Definitions

  1. One with strong moral views against excessive consumption of alcohol, gambling,…

    One with strong moral views against excessive consumption of alcohol, gambling, pornography, etc., who seeks to promulgate those views.

    • “I’d like to come with you one day up to the top end,” she said. “I suppose it’ll have to be after we’re married.” He grinned. “Plenty of wowsers back in Willstown to talk about it, if you came before.”
    • When they have paid attention to temperance advocates they have tended to dismiss them as ‘wowsers’ or ‘puritans’ intent on suppressing pleasure.

  2. A lout or similar disruptive person.

    • In size the wowser varies, for no matter where he's at, He takes up all the room there is— just like a cowboy's hat.

  3. Alternative form of wowzer.

    • Its title was “The Time Raider," and this story, which has never been reprinted, was a wowser.
    • Seriously, I mean it: From Russia, With Love is a real wowser, a lulu, a dilly and a smasheroo.
  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. Alternative form of wowsers.

      • In Gadget's eyes she looked positively beautiful in her gorgeous satiny-red cocktail dress. "Wowser!" he exclaimed, much to the confusion of the guests, who conferred with each other.
      • WOWSER - Absolutely beautiful rendering - a mastrpiece work
      • Wowser. I was glad I was only a kid and didn't need to worry about that kind of stuff.

The neighborhood

Derived

wowserdom, wowserian, wowserish, wowserism, wowsery

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for wowser. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA