I started a bit of controversy with this word in the Bluffing Game. Would you British and Australians care to expound on its possible etymology and present definition?

Here is a link to that discussion...scroll down towards the end.

I was a little surprised on reading the Macquarie and Wikipedia entries to find that the word originated in the Engish Midlands. I had always assumed that it originated in Oz. To my mind it stands for a 'lovable rascal' who eschews bullshit and has a healthy disrespect for authority figures. The tall poppy syndrome (which we've also discussed) is a facet. In short, the word describes the Australian character, or, at least, how they'd like to be seen.

Thus the definition I sent to Kaleh was not so much wrong as oversimplified?

Asa the simpleton

I'd say so. It's certainly not wrong, but it doesn't contain the full flavour of the word.

As I had said in the Bluffing Game thread, I'd not rely too heavily on Wikipedia with this word. The editors questioned the reliability of that entry. It may have developed in Australia, Arnie. Oftentimes misinformation about words gets passed around to other sites.