Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. Aus.) a mosquito; also attrib.

1917		A.S.G. Lee letter in No Parachute (1968) 12 June 59: My oil lamp, dim as it is, attracts mosquitoes. We also have moths, earwigs [...] and lots of other harmless guests, but these twin-Spandau mozzies can be spiteful.
1927		Morn. Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 2 Feb. 8/1: The mossies were in biting mood.
1931		Brisbane Courier 8 May 9/5: Just you watch me catch every skeeter [...] But while scores he despatched / In the swamp millions hatched [...] I am, sir, etc. ‘Mossie’.
1931		Mirror(Perth) 19 Dec. 111/4: [advt] Buy the Sure Exterminator — War on ‘Mozzies‘ Bottled death to all buzzing pests.
1941		A. Gurney Bluey & Curley 4 June [synd. cartoon strip] Have you ever seen such a joint for big mosquitoes? [...] Malaya’s th’ place for big mossies.
c.1944		in Seal (1999) 64: The man-eating mozzies of Moresby, / Their beaks are so big and so sharp.
1954		Advertiser (Adelaide) 28 Sept. 7/3: [He] was amused by the Australian’s affectionate abbreviations like ‘mossie’ for mosquito.
1959		D. Hewett Bobbin Up (1961) 102: They sat in the cool of the back verandah, slapping at the mozzies.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 28: The mossies are big in the Territory.
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 34: He sent ’em locusts, frogs, mozzies, flies.
1974		D. Ireland Burn 98: ‘Hear what? The mossies?’ and he slaps one on his chops.
1977		H. Garner Monkey Grip 22: I’d rather let the mozzies bite me than take all that stuff.
1982		N. Keesing Lily on the Dustbin 95: Dad, ‘old fuddy-duddy’ (or sceptic) has also lit a mosquito coil against ‘mossies’, ‘sandies’ (sand flies) and other ‘bities’.
1986		T. Winton That Eye, The Sky 19: Flies and mozzies divebomb us.
1999		Indep. on Sun. Travel 11 July 9: They were eaten alive by mozzies.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 137: mossie/mozzie Mosquito. ANZ.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex 218: I packed [...] mozzie repellent and packs of malaria pills.
2006		P. Shannon Davey Darling 236: [He] reached out fast with his hand and closed it into a fist. [...] ‘Mozzy,’ he said, holding his hand out.
2017		T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 16: The mudflats breed mozzies the size of Iroquois [...] between the mozzie bites and angry zits - I look like an anthropomorphic pizza.
2019		C. Hammer Silver [ebook] [C]itronella candles and mossie coils.
2021		P. Papathanasiou Stoning 53: ‘Too hot for mozzies, mate’.