Where “Boozington” Comes From
“Boozington” is an old Australian slang word for a drunkard, also written “Mr Boozington”. It is built from “booze” plus the ending “-ington”.
The earliest dated use in Green’s Dictionary of Slang is 1886, in the Sydney Evening News. It appears in Australian papers in 1891 (Broken Hill), 1906 (Adelaide) and 1908 (Sydney), and also turns up in British print in 1891 and American print in 1892 and 1901. A 1973 glossary of larrikin terms lists it for the 1890s. Green’s records no modern examples, so it is an old-fashioned word.
Source:
“Old Boozington was back at the pub before it opened.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
Newspapers used it for a regular drinker, as in “Old Boozington” or “Mr Boozington”, the way you might name a pub character. Green’s records no modern examples.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: BOOZ-ing-ton.
In conversation:
- Old Boozington was back at the pub before it opened.
- Mr Boozington is a regular here.
- They called him Mr Boozington.
Good to know: It’s an old word, so you’ll mostly find it in old newspapers and word lists. Using it today would sound playful and a bit dated.
See also: Sook
🎓 Want to sound like a true Aussie?
Watch Down Under English on YouTube for real Australian pronunciation, slang lessons, and culture.
Watch on YouTube →