Green’s Dictionary of Slang

shanghai n.2

also shangeye, shanghay
[? Scot. shangie, a cleft stick; note McGill Dict. of Kiwi Slang (1988): ‘Macquarie suggests a derivation from British dialect word “shangan”, a cleft stick for putting on a dog’s tail; the act of shanghai-ing or press-ganging by stupefying the victim, although clearly related to the East China seaport of Shanghai, has related merit for the impact of a child’s shanghai’]

(Aus./N.Z.) a catapult; thus v. shanghai, to shoot at with a catapult.

Show quotations
[Aus]Leader 24 Oct. 17/1: Turn, turn thy shanghay dread aside, / Nor touch that little bird.
[US]Spectator (Melbourne) 15 May 22/1: The lads had with them a couple of pistols, powder, shot, bullets, and a shanghai.
[Aus]Bulletin (Sydney) 4 Dec. 9/1: What led to the capture of five gentlemen larrikins [...] for shanghaing Chinamen was the complaint of Mr Berry that some one was breaking his windows.
[NZ]Police Offences Act, N.Z. sec. 4, subset. 23 n.p.: [...] Rolls any cask, beats any carpet, flies any kite, uses any bows and arrows, or catapult, or shanghai, or plays at any game to the annoyance of any person in any public place [...].
[Aus] letter in Argus (Melbourne) 29 Nov. n.p.: Wood swallows are somewhat sluggish and slow in their flight, and thus fall an easy prey to either the gun or the murderous and detestable ‘Shanghai’.
[Aus]W.S. Walker In the Blood 47: ‘Wish I’d brought my “shanghai”,’ says Billy, alluding to a certain war-worn catapult of his.
[Aus]Western Mail (Perth) 8 Apr. 51/1: A catapult, or shanghai, as the Australian boy calls it.
[Aus]Cairns Post (Qld) 15 Nov. 2/5: I’d like to see ‘you’ try to fire a gun. / A kiddy’s shanghai suits you best, old son.
[Aus]Advertiser (Adelaide) 3 May 15/7: Boys are the same the world over, for I noticed the rubber bands of a catapult or shanghai sticking out of one of their pockets.
[Aus]Sydney Morn. Herald 1 June 22/1: She also related that he carries a shanghai (catapult) [...] and takes pot-shots at seagulls.
[NZ]F. Sargeson ‘Boy’ in A Man And His Wife (1944) 7: That afternoon after school I was out in the back-yard with my shanghai.
[US]J. Greenway ‘Aus. Cattle Lingo’ in AS XXXIII:3 168: shanghai, [...] 3. n. A catapult.
[Aus](con. 1944) L. Glassop Rats in New Guinea 47: Our brigade had one anti-tank gun, two shanghais, four bows and arrows and three stones.
[Aus]W. Dick Bunch of Ratbags 10: That was broken by Barry with his shanghai.
[NZ]D. Davin Breathing Spaces 29: Get behind a bush with your shangeye and plenty of stones.
[Aus]D. Ireland Glass Canoe (1982) 1: Somebody put little shields round the globes to keep out rocks from shanghais or the human arm.
[NZ]McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 99/1: shanghai child’s catapult, but not the forked stick variety, instead an inner tyre tube strip attached to a sling.
[Aus]Penguin Bk of More Aus. Jokes 285: I’d make a shanghai and shoot little birds.
[NZ]McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].