Macquarie Dictionary

or

The rough end of the pineapple

This week we are offering discounted slang words. Ever been ripped off? Ever shoveled out ten bucks for a slice of gluten free bread about the size of a credit card? If so you have felt the rough end of the pineapple. Unfortunately, this incredible piece of slang means that you got a raw deal; the worst part of a bargain. Not a nice feeling, right? If you have felt the rough end of the pineapple you need to learn to drive a hard bargain 

We searched our database and discovered some delicious pineapple related slang. Did you know that pineapple is a slang word for the fifty dollar note? It’s also the name for an opal cluster. So we could say that finding a pineapple could earn you a lot of pineapples, if you catch my drift. 

On an edgier note, pineapple is also military slang for a bomb or hand grenade, especially those of a fragmentation type that resemble a pineapple in appearence. Pineapples have even been in the news lately. Who thought we would ever see the words freedom pineapple. Word of the Year contender, anyone?

Oh, and for those of us still embroiled in the pineapple on pizza debate, the world has moved on! Now we are faced with the swineapple, which, believe it or not is a pineapple which has been skinned and hollowed out, stuffed with ham and wrapped in bacon, and then grilled or roasted slowly. Wow.

Each week, we have a look at a slang word from Australian English. You can see other Aussie Word of the Week posts from the Macquarie Dictionary here. 

Leave a Comment

Featured Articles