Meanings
- AustraliaNew Zealandnot comparableslangGenuine, honest, fair and square.
My precious, please don′t ever send me a penny of extra money. That is very straight dinkum.
1977, Katherine Mansfield, The Letters and Journals of Katherine Mansfield: A Selection, page 96Synonyms: fair dinkum, square dinkum
- AustraliaNew Zealandnot comparableslangTruly, honestly.
“Say, cross my heart straight dinkum.”
1922, Katherine Mansfield, At The Bay2 more examples
This morning, I promise cross my heart straight Dinkum (is that right?) will be the last, the very last, of our awful moments.
1983, John Middleton Murry, The Letters of John Middleton Murry to Katherine Mansfield, page 178[…]she said scornfully, “One of the girls gave it to you. Tell me at once who it was.” “Cripes, no, straight dinkum. I just picked it up.”
1990, Norman Lindsay, edited by Keith Wingrove, Norman Lindsay on Art, Life, and Literature, page 41Synonyms: fair dinkum, square dinkum
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveGenuine, honest, fair and square.
adverbTruly, honestly.
Origin
Variation of fair dinkum.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
straight dinkum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/straight%20dinkum
“straight dinkum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/straight%20dinkum. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “straight dinkum,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/straight%20dinkum.
Source: straight dinkum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.