Where "Deadset" Comes From
"Deadset" grew out of the older English use of "dead" as an intensifier — as in "dead right" or "dead certain" — fused with "set" to mean fixed and unmistakably true. The Macquarie Dictionary traces the image to the motionless stance of a hunting dog pointing at game: when a dog is "dead set," it is completely still and locked on its target — a state that became a metaphor for absolute certainty.
It's been in common use across Australia since at least the mid-20th century as an all-purpose stamp of sincerity, doing double duty as both an adjective ("that's a deadset legend") and a standalone exclamation of agreement or disbelief ("deadset?!").
Source:
"Deadset, that's the best pie I've ever had."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Aussies drop it in to underline that something is genuinely true, or to hype up just about anything, good or bad: "deadset legend" or "deadset shocker."
It also stands alone as a reaction, similar to "seriously?" or "no way!"
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