Definition of Bludger
AS PER KERRY'S REQUEST.
BLUDGER: noun, a person who lives off the efforts of others; a person who does not pay his fair share or who does not make a fair contribution to a cost, enterprise, etc., a cadger; an idler, one who makes little effort.
The verb to bludge (on), a back formation from bludger, has existed from the turn of the century. The verb mirrors the various senses of the noun. There is a verbal noun and participial adjective dole bludging, but a verb to dole bludge has yet to make its presence felt.
Throughout the history of the word, most bludgers appear to have been male and overweight. The term bludgeress made a brief appearance in the first decade of this century—‘Latterly, bludgers, so the police say, are marrying bludgeresses’—but the term had the decency to cark it shortly thereafter.
BLUDGER: noun, a person who lives off the efforts of others; a person who does not pay his fair share or who does not make a fair contribution to a cost, enterprise, etc., a cadger; an idler, one who makes little effort.
The verb to bludge (on), a back formation from bludger, has existed from the turn of the century. The verb mirrors the various senses of the noun. There is a verbal noun and participial adjective dole bludging, but a verb to dole bludge has yet to make its presence felt.
Throughout the history of the word, most bludgers appear to have been male and overweight. The term bludgeress made a brief appearance in the first decade of this century—‘Latterly, bludgers, so the police say, are marrying bludgeresses’—but the term had the decency to cark it shortly thereafter.
posted by Stu at
2:47 am
3 Comments:
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Anonymous, at 2:52 pm
If you had put your name to the above comment I would have left it there.
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Stu, at 3:16 pm
Oxford update: The verbal noun and participial adjective 'dole bludging' has been extended to include 'Ingham bludging'. Many would prefer to see 'Ingham bludgeoning' but we shall leave that alone until someone goes off their noggin, in which case it will become an adjectival headline.
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Wampy, at 2:15 pm
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