Where "Troppo" Comes From
"Troppo" first appears in print in 1941, in the Darwin-based Army News, and became widely used during the Pacific campaign of the Second World War among Australian troops stationed in tropical conditions — shortened from "tropical," describing the disorientation, irritability, and erratic behaviour brought on by extended exposure to heat, humidity, and isolation.
The condition behind the slang had real scientific grounding: extended exposure to tropical heat and isolation was recognised as genuinely affecting soldiers' mental state and behaviour, not just a figure of speech. "Gone troppo" has stuck around in civilian Australian English ever since, for anyone acting a bit unhinged, whatever the cause.
Source:
"Stuck inside all week - I'm going troppo."
How Aussies Actually Use It
It's used for anyone acting erratically or cracking under pressure, whether from actual heat or just a stressful week.
It's usually said with sympathy or humour rather than judgement - everyone goes a bit troppo sometimes.
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