Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to attack verbally, to slander, thus n. rubbishing.

1953		T.A.G. Hungerford Riverslake 20: If Verity was going to tramp you for burning the tucker, Slim [...] he would have rubbished you long before this.
1960		A. Seymour One Day of the Year (1977) I i: This time I’m going to [...] even if it rubbishes absolutely and completely all I’ve been been brought up on.
1977		K. Gilbert Living Black 21: They used to really rubbish that man because young girls always got paid last to keep them there.
1985		J. Sullivan ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] I don’t like to hear people rubbishing you!!! That’s why.
1986		C. Bowles G’DAY 108: Doan rubbish my Darlene, y’old cow!
1992		M. Coleman Fatty 225: ‘The press likes to give Wally a rubbishing, especially over there’.
2000		Guardian 6 Jan. 10: Danish pig producers accused UK farmers of rubbishing their meat.

2. to treat badly, with disrespect.

1959		D. Hewett Bobbin Up (1961) 60: What are you rubbishin’ me for?
1960		J. Iggulden Storms of Summer 298: I’m supposed to be a murderer [...] Big time stuff. Killer! Big man. Don’t rubbish me.
1974		D. Ireland Burn 117: At least if he has a win here at home he’ll feel he hasn’t been rubbished everywhere.
1992		R.G. Barrett Davo’s Little Something 48: ‘I had a prick of a night to tell you the truth.’ [...] ‘The sheila rubbished you, eh?’.
2000		Guardian Media 6 Mar. 2: Having been misled, stitched up [...] abused and had themselves rubbished.

3. to beat up.

1974

‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell Plays Solomon (1976) 116: You set it up an’ give me the wire and I’ll git a few of the chaps an’ we’ll rubbish the lot of ’em.

4. to wipe out, to destroy.

1968		G. Slatter Pagan Game (1969) 130: If you play with real hate in your game, you’ll rubbish them.
1976		Manchester Guardian Weekly 4 Jan. 6: The half-a-dozen cries that could rubbish this Government and lay the United Kingdom politically waste.

5. to tease.

1970

D. Butts Down Under Up Close 48: The famous mateship of Australian men often expresses itself in forms of ‘rubbishing’ (teasing). Nicknames, for example are common.