Meaning of wowser | Babel Free

Definitions

1. One with strong moral views against excessive consumption of alcohol, gambling, pornography, etc., who seeks to promulgate those views.
   Australia, New-Zealand, derogatory
2. A lout or similar disruptive person.
   obsolete

Examples

““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.””

“As for the rest, the pay is not bad, coming as it does from the pockets of the three local warlords who hired me: two graziers, one of whom is also a terrible wowser (everyone calls him 'Mr Prophet', though I call him - privately, of course - Mr Brimstone, or Old Blood-and-Thunderguts); the third is the owner of the pub.”

“When they have paid attention to temperance advocates they have tended to dismiss them as ‘wowsers’ or ‘puritans’ intent on suppressing pleasure.”

“Quite simply, to a wowser, adults should not be allowed to see, hear and read as they wished, but should only be allowed to see hear and read that which fully conforms to Australia's Christian heritage[…].”

“He's a bit of a prig. A wowser. Very Methodist.”

“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.”

“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.”

CEFR level