Where "Chock-a-block" Comes From
A nautical term dating to about 1840: two blocks of a ship's tackle drawn so close together that they touch and can't be hauled any further. It's a general English expression, not an Australian coinage, but it is a long-standing part of everyday Australian speech. "Chocka" and "chocker" are later shortenings, associated with WWII services slang.
Sources: chock-a-block (Etymonline) · Chock-a-block (World Wide Words)
“The bakery was chock-a-block on Saturday morning, so we came back later.”
“My diary is chock-a-block until the end of the month.”
"The car park was chock-a-block by nine."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Often shortened to just "chockers" — which the site already has as its own entry.
Chock-a-block is a slightly more old-fashioned, full-length version of what many Australians now say as 'chockers'. In conversation it describes a space that is packed: a shopping centre on the weekend before Christmas, a train at peak hour, a calendar with no gaps. It also works for schedules, so 'my week's chock-a-block' means you're booked solid.
It is casual but not rude, so it fits most settings, including workplaces, and it reads naturally in writing. The two forms are interchangeable, though chockers sounds more relaxed. A learner tip: it is an adjective, so say 'the pub was chock-a-block', not 'the pub chock-a-blocked'. Also note 'full as a goog' means drunk or stuffed with food, not packed.
See also: Chockers (the common shortened form), Full as a Goog (another 'full' expression, but for eating or drinking), Full-on (for something intense or busy).
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