Traditional
Still common
Definition
To have a swim or a bath.
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Where "Have a Bogey" Comes From
"Bogey" comes from Dharug (also spelled Dharuk), the Aboriginal language of the Sydney basin, where a related word meant to bathe or wash.
The word was picked up into early colonial slang and spread through Australian pidgin English, eventually becoming a general term for having a swim, particularly common in the Northern Territory and other parts of regional Australia.
Example Sentence
"It's stinking hot, let's go have a bogey in the creek."
How Aussies Actually Use It
"Have a bogey" simply means to go for a swim or a wash, often in a natural spot like a creek, waterhole, or the sea.
It's an old, still-used regionalism, more common in rural and northern Australia than in the big cities.
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