Word of the Day

: April 26, 2007

wowser

noun, chiefly Australian WOW-zer

What It Means

: an obtrusively puritanical person

wowser in Context

"I'm no wowser, but I draw the line at abusive, foul-mouthed drunks." (Mike Smithson, [South Australia] Sunday Mail, July 2, 2006)

Did You Know?

"Wowser" is a delightful word with an interesting background, though its ultimate origin is unknown. The word first appeared in print in 1899, in the Australian journal Truth, and was instantly popular in Australia. It spread to New Zealand, where it remains in use, and then eventually arrived in England, possibly brought by the Australian troops who served there during World War I. The American writer and editor H. L. Mencken liked "wowser" and attempted to introduce it in the United States. He used the word frequently in American Mercury, the literary magazine he edited. Despite Mencken's efforts the term never truly caught on in American English, though it is used occasionally.