Still used
Definition
A stockman or station hand, especially in northern Australia. Also the fastest shearer in a shed.
Where “Ringer” Comes From
“Ringer” has more than one meaning in Australian English. Green’s Dictionary of Slang records the shearing-shed sense: the fastest and best shearer in a shed, first dated 1871 in Rolf Boldrewood’s writing. It also records the wider sense of an expert, or anything superlative of its kind.
On cattle stations in northern Australia, “ringer” is also the everyday word for a stockman or station hand.
Source:
Example Sentence
“He’s been a ringer on cattle stations for years.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
You’ll hear it on stations and in outback stories.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: RING-er.
In conversation:
- The ringers start at dawn.
- She’s been a ringer in the Kimberley.
- He was the ringer of the shed.
Good to know: It has two meanings that depend on place. In the north, a “ringer” is a cattle station worker. In a shearing shed, the “ringer” is the fastest shearer.
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