From UK dialect. Australian from late 1890s.
John Norton, an early enemy of wowsers, claimed it to be an acronym for "We Only Want Social Evils Remedied", but that is likely a folk etymology.
A story has it that gospellers in the streets of Clunes, Victoria in the 1870s were called rousers but one of the town councillors had a speech impediment and couldn't pronounce his "R"s, thus giving wowser. (Reference: Bill Wannan, Australian Folklore, Lansdowne Press, 1970, reprint 1979 →ISBN, under "Wowser", page 568.)
Meanings
(Australia, New-Zealand, derogatory) One with strong moral views against alcohol, gambling, pornography, etc., who seeks to promulgate those views; a censorious, self-righteous, puritanical person who tries to stop others from having fun.
He's a bit of a prig. A wowser. Very Methodist. 2012, Deborah Burrows, A Stranger in my Street:
“I’d like to come with you one day up to the top end,” she said. “I suppose it’ll have to be after we’re married.”
He grinned. “Plenty of wowsers back in Willstown to talk about it, if you came before.” 1950, Neville Shute, chapter 9, in A Town Like Alice, London: The Reprint Society, published 1952, page 259:
When they have paid attention to temperance advocates they have tended to dismiss them as ‘wowsers’ or ‘puritans’ intent on suppressing pleasure. 1999, Anna E. Blainey, “The prohibition and total abstinence movement in Australia, 1880 - 1910”, in Robert Dare, editor, Food, Power and Community, page 142:
As for the rest, the pay is not bad, coming as it does from the pockets of the three local warlords who hired me: two graziers, one of whom is also a terrible wowser (everyone calls him 'Mr Prophet', though I call him - privately, of course - Mr Brimstone, or Old Blood-and-Thunderguts); the third is the owner of the pub. 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, paperback edition, Virago Press, page 65:
Quite simply, to a wowser, adults should not be allowed to see, hear and read as they wished, but should only be allowed to see hear and read that which fully conforms to Australia's Christian heritage[…]. 2010, Robert Cettl, Offensive to a Reasonable Adult: Film Censorship and Classification in 'Secular' Australia, page 43:
killjoy (one who promotes abstinence) · spoilsport (one who promotes abstinence) · moral crusader (one who promotes abstinence) · party pooper (one who promotes abstinence) · prude (one who promotes abstinence)
wowser en · INTJ · etymology 3
Etymology
Origin unknown.
# (US) A fierce imaginary animal.
#*
1968, Squire Omar Barker, Rawhide Rhymes: Singing Poems of the Old West, page 10:
Well, a wowser is the critter
That the nester's little daughter is afraid will come and git her
In case she fails to wash her neck and mind her pa and ma,
For what the ring-tailed wowser likes is little gals to chaw.
At least she's heard the cowboys thus describe this wondrous beast
With one green eye a-lookin' west, a red one lookin' east.
But speaking scientifickly, the wowser is a cross
Between the cattywampus and and the dry-land albatross
With parts of grizzly bear throwed in, and just enough of 'coon
To give him rings around his tail, like rings around the moon.
From wow, with the "-ser" added to provide emphasis.
Meanings
(alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of wowsers.
WOWSER - Absolutely beautiful rendering - a mastrpiece work 2010, David J. Vanderpool, Pencil Drawings: A look into drawing Portraits:
Wowser. I was glad I was only a kid and didn't need to worry about that kind of stuff. 2013, Gregory E. Burchett, Missing The Links, page 241:
In Gadget's eyes she looked positively beautiful in her gorgeous satiny-red cocktail dress. "Wowser!" he exclaimed, much to the confusion of the guests, who conferred with each other. 1999, Inspector Gadget, page 48:
wowser en · NOUN · etymology 3
Etymology
Origin unknown.
# (US) A fierce imaginary animal.
#*
1968, Squire Omar Barker, Rawhide Rhymes: Singing Poems of the Old West, page 10:
Well, a wowser is the critter
That the nester's little daughter is afraid will come and git her
In case she fails to wash her neck and mind her pa and ma,
For what the ring-tailed wowser likes is little gals to chaw.
At least she's heard the cowboys thus describe this wondrous beast
With one green eye a-lookin' west, a red one lookin' east.
But speaking scientifickly, the wowser is a cross
Between the cattywampus and and the dry-land albatross
With parts of grizzly bear throwed in, and just enough of 'coon
To give him rings around his tail, like rings around the moon.
From wow, with the "-ser" added to provide emphasis.