A lost pejorative

We’re quite proud of our many terms of abuse in Australian English, and of course they are constantly changing, with new words appearing and old ones withering away.

One that has fallen out of our lexicon is “urger”. 60 years ago this was as bad a thing to call someone as a “bastard” or “bludger” or worse, all words that we still recognise and use.

But who says “urger” anymore?

I found one 2007 reference by a pharmacist giving evidence in a coroner’s hearing of a death by drug overdose. Maybe he was an old pharmacist. Maybe Darwin is behind the times.