Where "On the Turps" Comes From
The clipped word "turps" for alcohol dates back to 1865, used as a jab that the drink might as well be industrial solvent.
The specific Australian phrase "on the turps" is documented from 1929, alongside relatives like "turps merchant" for a heavy drinker.
“We got a bit carried away and spent the whole long weekend on the turps.”
“He's been on the turps since the footy grand final.”
The boys have been on the turps since Friday arvo.
How Aussies Actually Use It
Used casually and often humorously about a big session of drinking, usually over a weekend or celebration.
On the turps describes a drinking session rather than a single drink, and it usually implies that it has gone on for a while. It is jokey rather than judgemental: a mate might say "we were on the turps all weekend" with a laugh, and listeners understand it as a big night, or several. It is more of a casual, blokey expression, though people of any gender use it.
Note that the phrase is about the activity, not the state. If someone is already very drunk, Australians tend to say "smashed" or "full as a goog". "On the turps" is about the behaviour that got them there. It can also carry a mild warning, so hearing that someone "has been on the turps again" suggests a pattern rather than a one-off. Learners should use it with friends and in relaxed company, not at work or with someone you do not know well, as it is casual talk about heavy drinking.
See also: Piss-Up (the session itself), Full as a Goog (the state you end up in), Two-pot screamer (light drinker contrast).
"Turps merchant" is the matching insult for someone who drinks heavily on a regular basis.
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