Dictionary

smoodge en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /smuːd͡ʒ/

Etymology

From British dialect. Australian from 1898.

Meanings

1. (Australia) To act in an ingratiating manner; to fawn.
   • 1936, Brian Penton, Inheritors, 2003, facsimile, Sydney University Press, Print on Demand Service, page 289, “ […] We ain′t cowards to give up our swag to Cabell on the off-chance of smoodging charity from strangers.”
   • They denounced plutocrats and extolled bums, reviled lime-lighters and scorned the fakirs who smoodged for the support of the wage slaves. 1995, Verity Burgmann, Revolutionary Industrial Unionism: The Industrial Workers of the World in Australia, page 29:
   • 1903 February 3, Political Labor League of New South Wales: Annual Conference, minutes, 2006, Michael Hogan (editor), Labor Pains: Early Conference and Executive Reports of the Labor Party of NSW, page 376, Mr Grant, in reply, was not in favor of the way the bureau was conducted. There was no rotation system, but a straight-out smoodging system, and therein was his objection. Give us the bureau, but let there be no smoodging to the foreman. The motion was lost.
2. (Australia, transitive) To inveigle; to use flattery and wiles on someone.
   • "If I'd knowed she was going to do it I'd never have signed that there partnership she smoodged me into signing, making out it was only to stop me brother Herbert William from comin' in by law for my property, and all the time she was working it out so she could come in for it herself if I pegged out - her with rights to buy my share of it and take over everything." 1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 163:
3. (Australia, dated, slang) To kiss and cuddle; to canoodle.

Forms