Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z.) to pry, to snoop; thus stickybeaking n. and adj., prying, ‘poking one’s nose in’.

1933		J. Truran Where Plain Begins 13: Serves yer right for stickybeakin’ where you ’ad no business.
1944		L. Glassop We Were the Rats 65: You must prod, and pry, and stickybeak. Why the hell can’t you leave a man in peace?
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 164: He was always sticky-beaking into my business.
1959		H. Drake-Brockman ‘The North-west ladies’ West Coast Stories 157: Flat-chested old sticky-beaking romancer, that’s what she is!
1960		Sydney Morn. Herald 18 Sept. 31/2: Most of the people are merely ‘sticky-beaking’.
1979		D. Maitland Breaking Out 66: And what do you do for a crust, Nole, if you don’t mind me stickybeaking?
1986		Sydney Morn. Herald 16 Mar. 57/3: Is it conceivable [...] that an incoming ‘reformist’ government would not have made a thhorough sticky-beaking examination of the files.
1996		K. Lette Mad Cows 241: Sonia then turned her attention to Gillian. ‘And what about you?’ she sticky-beaked.
2009		P. Temple Truth 213: Rose was on her verandah, pink tracksuit. ‘Stickyin,’ she said [...] ‘Where the hell you bin?’.