razoo n.1
(orig. N.Z., then Aus./N.Z.) a small amount of money; thus generic for any small amount.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Newcastle Sun (NSW) 30 Sept 5/5: Speaking at the meeting of public servants in Newcastle last night, Mr. Birt, M.L.A., said that they bad not been rewarded for their sacrifice by even a ‘razoo.’ Some wondered at this new expression, and Mr. Birt kindly explained: ‘Razoo’ is a two up term for a coin of the realm. | |
| Tweed Dly (Murwillumbah, NSW) 17 May 7/4: And I never cared a ‘razoo’ for that ‘shielar’ any way. | |
| Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW) 1 July 4/2: Bath replied that he had ‘not had a razoo’. | |
 | Dungog Chron. (NSW) 20 June 2/6: Judge Perdriau: No, he climbed up the poles after that razoo. What is a razoo, by the way? Mr. Nicholas: A most insignificant coin, your Honor. | |
| Sheepmates 268: Richards never has a rahzoo. | |
| Bluey & Curley 5 Nov. [synd. cartoon] He didn’t have a razoo on him. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 169: Then we had another two half-handles which meant I hadn’t a razoo left. | |
| Till Human Voices Wake Us 35: Let me out into the street, naked [...] without a razoo. | |
| Shiralee 61: There’s not one amongst them worth a razoo. | |
| Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 20: I haven’t got a blessed razoo! | |
| I’m a Jack, All Right 17: This’ll be something novel, it won’t cast you a razoo—. | |
| (con. 1959) Up the Cross 35: The first and last time [...] Mick the Muso had plonked even a razoo on a four-footed anything. | |
| Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 197: [T]he last time he’d plonked a razoo on a race was when Bernborough and Mulley lost the Caulfield Cup that time. |
In phrases
(Aus./N.Z.) used in combs. to mean nothing at all, esp. of money, i.e. absolutely penniless.
| Wyalong Advocate (NSW) 13 July 12: Cargelligo would not benefit this town a brass ‘razoo’ . | |
| Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW) 1/5: Now that the unemployed wanted money there was not a brass razoo in the place to get. | |
| W. Australian (Perth) 26 Jan. 4/7: Thirty years of drought / on the farm at Blazin’ Flat! / But not one brass razoo we’re worth— / (the Banks ’ave seen to that!). | |
| Mirror (Perth) 30 Aug. 1/5: He is 20/1 and less for the double [...] but I haven’t a penny on him, not a brass razoo. | |
| Argus (Melbourne) 29 Dec. 9/4: Not a brass razoo. | |
| Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 18 Mar. 2/5: At the present time the 53 soldier settlers [...] haven’t a ‘bronze razoo’ between the lot of them. | |
| ‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxii 7/1: brass razoo: The smallest amount possible of money to comprehend. Completely stoney, without a brass razoo. | |
| Holy Smoke 77: It’s not going to cost ’em a brass razoo! | |
| Aus. Women’s Wkly 22 Aug. 51/3: You mustn’t nick off, even if he hasn’t go a brass razoo. | |
| Bastards I Have Known 15: My old man had found [...] the money box behind the wood heap without a brass razoo left in it. | |
| Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 20/2: brass razoo a small amount of money; not have a brass razoo to have no money. Originally a gambling chip in Australasia; eg ‘Sorry, chief, I’d like to help you, but I don’t have a flipping brass razoo.’. | |
| Chopper From The Inside 79: I don’t have a brass razoo. I have blow it all. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Foetal Attraction (1994) 218: She didn’t have a brass razoo. Not a pot to piss in. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988]. | |
| ‘Ocker’ in The Drover’s Wives (2019) 181: The drought of 18— had left them without a brass razoo and now they were pov. |
not care whatsoever.
| Aus. Jewish News (Melbourne) 20 Sept. 36/4: ‘Now, it’s not that I give a brass razoo for the black boongs or little yellow b—s, but no comm is gonna push a dinkie-di Aussie around’. | |
| Canberra Times (ACT) 10 Sept. 8/7: Mrs Ros Kelly could not give a brass razoo in this matter. | |
| Stoning 47: ‘I couldn’t give a brass razoo what they do in their countries’. |
(Aus./N.Z.) lit. and fig., utterly worthless.
| Camden News (NSW) 17 Dec. 1/2: Australia would be isolated from the world and its credit would not be worth a brass razoo. | |
| Kapunda Herald (SA) 27 Mar. 5/1: The thousand of pounds col lected from the flour tax were not worth a brass razoo to improve the conditions of the marginal farmer. | |
| Aussie Swearers Guide 44: If you wish to decribe something as worthless, not usuge of not worth a mintie, not worth a crumpet and not worth a razoo. | |
| Dinkum Aussie Dict. 11: Brass razoo: Worthless item. An object is said to be, ‘not worth a brass razoo’. |