Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also concho, conchy, conscie, conshi, conshie) a conscientious objector.

1917		Daily Mail 9 Oct. 2/3: The assembly of eleven hundred ‘conscientious’ objectors at one spot, Princetown, on Dartmoor, where they are known as ‘conchies’ .
1919		Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) 26 Sept. 3/3: ‘Conchy’ short for conscientious objector.
1921		N&Q 12 Ser. IX 344: Conchie (Conscie). A conscientious objector.
1925		E. Jervis 25 Years in Six Prisons 53: Dartmoor Convict prison, then filled with long-haired ‘conchies’.
1929		(con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 76: ’Arf o’ them snivellin’ conshies at ’ome ’d fight like rats if they was cornered.
1936		G. Greene Gun for Sale (1973) 170: If anyone’s on the streets without a gas-mask he’s a conchie.
1953		I. Hamilton Till Human Voices Wake Us 16: The older doctor knew I was a conchie.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act II: What am I supposed to do? Turn conshi?
1960		D. Abse House of Cowards (1967) 51: I was a conchie during the war.
1969		D. Maitland Only War 95: But how can you hate me if you’re a pacifist — a concho.
1970		(con. 1941) R. Beilby No Medals for Aphrodite 14: One lousy stripe, and as soon as you tried to do the right thing you were a ‘military maniac’ or ‘Army happy’ or, worst of all, a ‘conshie’.
1973		B.S. Johnson All Bull 16: It is difficult to remember [...] how pejorative the term conchie was.
1981		M. Gee Meg 155: She asked him if he had become a conchy because he was scared.
1993		(con. 1918) P. Barker Eye in the Door 101: He’s had his vote taken away ’cause he’s a conchie.
2000		Guardian G2 1 June 2: An 18-year-old self-confessed ‘work conchy’ (conscientious objector).
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 192: Pacifists and conchies and unilateralists are not like us.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1942		K. Williams Diaries 7 Apr. 3: Started — felt very nervous! everything OK, those I saw jolly decent lot. Other fellow a conchie!! objector.
1942		W. Winchell On Broadway 4 Apr. [synd. col.] The ‘Conchy Objector’ camp Lew Ayres is at is not far from Ginger Rogers’ [...] ranch in Oregon.
1950		K. Amis letter 1 Jan. in Leader (2000) 225: James Michie has an article in the NS this week on the conchie tribunals.
1954		(con. 1940s) T.A.G. Hungerford Sowers of the Wind 164: The war’s over, yeah! Don’t let none of these conchy bastards work y’ to death.

3. (Aus.) a hard worker.

1980

F. Moorhouse Days of Wine and Rage 302: Some Australians [...] have a suspicion of swots, ‘conchies’, people who work hard for their effect [AND].