spare adj.
1. idle, useless, superfluous.
Forty Modern Fables 208: A spare Lady and I were hiding down there. | ||
(con. WWI) Soldier and Sailor Words 266: Spare, To Look: To be idle. | ||
Gilt Kid 154: Well, we can’t stand around here spare. We’ll get knocked off for a dead cert if we do. | ||
Our Hidden Lives (2004) 205: The Yanks are so fearfully overbearing and boastful when they go with a lot of ‘spare’ women. | 15 Apr. diary in Garfield
2. (orig. milit.) overwrought, distraught.
(con. WW1) Patrol 206: ‘Can’t let him wander around spare an’ the sun just gettin’ up’. | ||
implied in go spare | ||
An Eng. Madam 95: I was spare, I really was. | ||
Mud Crab Boogie (2013) [ebook] It’s enough to send you spare. | ||
Guardian G2 12 Aug. 7: Pandora’s kicked you out and you’re feeling a bit spare. | ||
OnLine Dict. of Playground Sl. 🌐 spare adj. A condition of extreme annoyance usually associated with one’s mother who might be reported to have ‘gone spare’ at hearing of your latest attempt to bring shame and humiliation on the family. |
3. eccentric, irrational.
Billy Rags [ebook] I acted a bit spare as though I hadn’t understood very much of what he’d said. |
In phrases
to lose one’s temper, to act crazily.
Bang To Rights 169: When he saw what I had done he went spare. | ||
Guntz 80: The full strength is I went spare. | ||
Cockade (1965) I iii: No wonder Fred went spare – brother to a Kuke. | ‘Spare’ in||
Signs of Crime 201: Spare, to go To react violently. | ||
Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 37: He’ll think he’s Shakespeare and go fucking spare. | ||
Lowspeak. | ||
The Joy (2015) [ebook] Then a voice came out of the sitting room. [...] ‘Shut up that singing, will ye?’ I just went fuckin spare. ‘This is me ma’s home. She can sing if she wants to, right?’. | ||
Filth 21: Back doon at HQ everyone in the canteen’s gaun fuckin spare about the holiday memo. | ||
NZEJ 13 32: go spare v. To lose one’s temper. | ‘Boob Jargon’ in||
Cartoon City 72: His Mam would go spare if she found out. | ||
Leaving Bondi (2013) [ebook] Blythe was going almost spare at the end of the bed. | ||
Soothing Music for Stray Cats 19: Dad would’ve gone spare if he’d realised, but then he went spare anyways. | ||
Bloody January 151: The Super was going spare. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
(Aus. rural) treacle, golden syrup.
Aus. Lang. 81: Consider, for example, these slang names for treacle and golden syrup: longtail, spare boy, Kidman’s blood mixture, Kidman’s joy, beetle bait, black jack, bullocky’s joy, cocky’s joy and tear-arse. |
(US black) a very thin person.
(con. 1930s–50s) Night People 118: Spareribs. A real skinny fellow. |
1. the roll of flesh that surrounds an overweight stomach; ocaas. used of the neck.
(con. 1920s) Big Money in USA (1966) 743: The other lady, the one with the diamonds and the spare tire round her waist. | ||
Men from the Boys (1967) 38: He slapped my bare stomach. ‘Still got your rubber tire.’. | ||
Maori Girl 235: That’s my spare tyre, in case I get a puncture! | ||
CUSS 210: Tire The abdomen. | et al.||
Skin Tight 279: Within moments the first yellow glops appeared. Johnny LeTigre’s spare tyre. | ||
Salesman 21: Your daughter could live a deal longer than yourself [...] ’specially if you don’t lose a bit of that spare tyre. | ||
Plainclothes Naked (2002) 271: I’ll take mine [i.e. coffee] white and creamy. Who cares if I get a spare tire? | ||
Observer Mag. 13 June 62: If only we could [...] send our unwanted ‘spare tyres’ and ‘love handles’ to sub-Saharan Africa. | ||
Empty Wigs (t/s) 506: [T]he tattoo on his generous spare tyre of neck suet looked like a label sticking out of a coat’s collar. |
2. (US) an unwelcome or irrelevant person, a boring person.
Judge (NY) 91 July-Dec. 31: Spare Tire - A girl who is asked out only when there is no one else around. | ||
, | DAS 506/1: spare tire [...] Any dull, disliked individual, a bore. Since c. 1945. |
3. (N.Z. prison) an officer still completing their training.
Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 173/2: spare tyre n. a prison officer in the process of completing his training, undertaking work experience. |