Where "Bludge" Comes From
The chain here is genuinely surprising. "Bludger" first appears in 1856 as a shortened form of "bludgeoner" — a violent enforcer, literally "one who wields a bludgeon" — and specifically meant a prostitute's pimp, the sort of man who lived off someone else's work rather than his own. By 1939 the word had softened considerably in Australian and New Zealand use to mean simply "loafer," and the verb "bludge" (to shirk work) is first recorded in 1919.
So the everyday meaning you hear today — someone dodging their share of the work — is the end point of a much rougher word, worn smooth by a century of use.
Source:
"He bludged off me all weekend."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Covers everything from skipping chores to living off a mate's generosity — "he bludged off me all weekend" implies freeloading without much shame about it.
"Bludger" is the go-to noun for someone who habitually avoids pulling their weight, whether at work, at home, or splitting a bill.
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