wowser

plural wowsers

1. AustraliaNew ZealandderogatoryOne 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

   4 more examples

   “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

   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

   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

   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

   Synonyms: killjoy, moral crusader, party pooper, prude, spoilsport

plural wowsers

1. alternativeAlternative form of wowzer.

   Seriously, I mean it: From Russia, With Love is a real wowser, a lulu, a dilly and a smasheroo.

   2013, Andrew Lycett, Ian Fleming, page 301

   1 more example

   Its title was “The Time Raider," and this story, which has never been reprinted, was a wowser.

   2003, Glen Cadigan, The Legion Companion

1. alternativeAlternative form of wowsers.

   WOWSER - Absolutely beautiful rendering - a mastrpiece work

   2010, David J. Vanderpool, Pencil Drawings: A look into drawing Portraits

   2 more examples

   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. 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