Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a barker for a fairground or carnival sideshow or a cinema, theatre or similar entertainment, who stands on the street to promote the show and attract an audience.

1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 138: SPRUKER [sic] showmen the orator who stands outside a show and lauds it to induce the public to enter.
1902		‘Bad Bill’ in Truth (Sydney) 14 Sept. 5/6: ‘Lockie the Spruiker’ that ‘spruiked,’ for years at the Gaiety door, / Has gone out of the ‘spruiking’ business, and never will ‘spruik’ any more.
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 30 Apr. 1/1: Visitors are bailed up for bunce after the manner of a wax-work’s spruiker.
1908		E. Dyson ‘Two Battlers and a Bear’ in Lone Hand (Sydney) Feb. 376/2: Kosmic Klob, arrayed in the garb of a clown, acted as spruicher.
1907		N.Z. Truth 18 May 4/6: Acting-Detective Williams [...] took the boy down to the place of mirth and interviewed the vile ‘spruiker’.
1911		E. Dyson ‘At a Boxing Bout’ in Benno and Some of the Push 115: Dinny’s a good ernough spruicher. Givin’ chat t’ aujinces this size jiggers up the ’uman organ, I tell yeh.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Nov. 38/1: His Grace of Brisbane lately acted as a sort of spruiker for an impending tea-meeting, holding forth as follows: ‘This will be a real knife and fork meal – not a sandwich and sausage roll affair.’.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 3 Sept. 22/4: [T]her feller who did all ther talkin the sprooker they called him useter yell out that one of ther pugs tornado jim he called him wood fight anyone on ther ground four a thousan quid an useterave a big bag full of ten pound notes to show that he had ther muney to put up.
1917		Truth (Wellington) 13 Oct. 1/6: Some spruikers who start out by telling people that they have nothing to say, take anelofa time to say it.
1922		E. Dyson Missing Link Ch. vi 🌐 Professor Thunder was his own ‘spruicher;’ his eloquence was remarkable.
1925		N.Z. Truth 19 June 3/9: Let’ [...] not resport to methods adopted by the country circus proprietor. Surely it is unnecessary to make ‘spruikers’ of our leading bank.
1938		Argus (Melbourne) 6 Aug. 10/3: Spruikers still spruik, and more and more tradespeople make full use of that fascinating new toy the microphone.
1946		Horsham Times 12 Nov. 8/5: Most of the crowd were merely bystanders [...] watching the three first-class spruikers.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 82: A spruiker outside was dressed up like a train conductor and he told you about the tour. ‘See the famous Rocky Mountains for sixpence.’.
1964		H.P. Tritton Time Means Tucker 33: Her husband [...] was her spruiker. He had a quaint falsetto voice and his only line was ‘Consult Madam Corwah for your futuah!’.
1979		(con. 1950s) G. Stewart Leveller 163: I could see the possibilities of a boxing troupe. I realized that the whole situation depended on the owner-spruiker.
1992		K. Lette Llama Parlour 211: Dinner-suited spruikers, sweltering in the midday sun, hustled passers-by to come inside their casinos.
2005		Guardian 24 Aug. 27/1: Australia’s spinner-cum-spruiker Shane Warne gave the public a rare personal guarantee that his side would turn in an improved performance.
2009		P. Temple Truth 104: The spruiker Kim Hogarth and two women escorting him, they read name tags, did introductions.

2. a loud and continual talker.

1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 2 Oct. 4/7: We also sent a spruiker strong / To show him which at ’Ome was which.
1924		C.J. Dennis ‘The Crusaders’ in Chisholm (1951) 81: But we are in the ’ands of Fate, / An’ ’oly spruikers uv an ancient date.
1960		R. Tullipan Follow the Sun 92: Hey Spruiker!

3. a platform speaker, an orator.

1908		Sun. Times (Perth) 30 Aug. 4/7: A stout [...] dame, slightly deaf, indistinctly caught the title given by the spruiker on the stage.
1926		J. Doone Timely Tips For New Australians 21: SPRUIKER.—A slang word denoting a platform speaker.
1952		J. Cleary Sundowners 154: Rupe sounds like a spruiker from the Domain. That how you spend your Sunday arvos, Rupe? Belly-aching against the way the country’s run?

4. a barrister.

1967

‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxix 4/5: spruiker: Legal representative in court.

5. a shop tout.

2004

L. Redhead Peepshow [ebook] We passed takeaway stores, discount clothing outlets and shops with spruikers out front flogging perfume rip-offs and cheap sunglasses.