Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also stickbeak) an inquisitive person, one who sticks in their beak n.² ; also attrib; in cit. 1938, the nose itself on such a person.

1918		Castlemaine Mail (Vic.) 8 May 4/1: Young ladies kept asking them questions, and telling them what they thought of them; one young lady called tliem sticky-beaks, but all these girls could do was giggle.
1920		B. Cronin Timber Wolves 159: I’ve told the girls to give out that we’ve gone fishing, if any stickybeaks get to asking why we ain’t visible no more.
1922		Argus (Melbourne) 9 Feb. 6/8: In the meantime, it is not surprising that in some parts of the Town Hall the popular expression ‘Stickbeak’ is heard, and with bitter emphasis.
1924		E.G. Murphy ‘It Appears’ Dryblower’s Verses 75: There are scandalising stickybeaks who flute across the fence, / Where their backyards join the others and the dirt is often dense.
1932		New Call (Perth, WA) 7 Apr. 3/4: [The gambling school] is far removed from the beat of the average pedestrian — likewise the ‘Jack’ and his sticky-beak propensities.
1934		C. Stead Seven Poor Men of Sydney 313: ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ The man grinned, ‘Eh, stickybeak?’.
1938		H. Drake-Brockman Men Without Wives II i: Never make the mistake of letting your pretty little nose turn into a great big sticky beak.
1948		D. Ballantyne Cunninghams (1986) 122: You wouldn’t marry a stickybeak like Joy.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 240/1: stickybeak – a person who is very inquisitive.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxiv 4/4: earwig: A stickybeak. A listener in.
1974		D. Ireland Burn 60: ‘Secret me fat foot,’ McAllister says. ‘With all those stickybeaks talking to the postman,’ Joy says.
1982		N. Keesing Lily on the Dustbin 16: His grandmother had reprimanded him for fidgeting with her handbag, and he had asked, ‘Well what is in your handbag?’ ‘Fly-paper for a nosey stickybeak,’ Gran snapped.
1993		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read How to Shoot Friends 44: A sawn-off shotgun was found in my carry bag by some sticky beak.
2006		P. Carey Theft 251: I poked into the big drawer beneath Mum’s wardrobe [...] I was a sticky beak.
2013		T. Peacock More You Bet 33: Those punters waiting for a price to shorten or to lengthen, or perhaps just plain ‘stickybeaks’.
2019		G. Disher Peace 16: Grynne was the town stickybeak.

2. an inquisitive look; thus have a stickybeak, have a look around.

1963		Sydney Morn. Herald 3 Dec. 1/9: Sandra and I decided to have a stickybeak on opening day.
1971		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 Aug. 14/1: An old Digger type who was just having a bit of a stickybeak gets spun out of the crush.
1980		Aus. Women’s Wkly 22 Oct. 146s/2: Well, I think I’ll have a stickybeak overseas.
1992		R.G. Barrett White Shoes 120: There was a bit of a sticky-beak in their direction.
2000		Age (Melbourne) 4 Dec. 17/6: Your intrepid corresponndent braved domestic ridicule to take a stickybeak at the proceedings.
2016		D. Whish-Wilson Old Scores [ebook] ‘And you sent your mate Stiggs to have a stickybeak at the place’.