Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z.) an environmentalist, a conservationist.

1985		in J. Miller Koori 218: Since I believe in Koori land rights and no dams on the Franklin River, that makes me a black, greenie, pinko.
1993		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read How to Shoot Friends 77: He [...] believes Australia is being taken over by wogs, greenies, the homosexual lobby and vegetarians.
1999		Guardian G2 18 June 20: GM crops are only part of the story [...] a few years ago, I’d have been called a crank, a greeny.
2003		Sun. Herald Sun (Melbourne, Aus.) 9 Mar. Z/27: Most would agree glamour greenies have the potential to do for the environmental cause what Jamie Oliver did for getting men in to the kitchen.
2007		Indep. 60 Sept. 3: Desperate not to be accused of being ‘soft greenies’ by the rightwing press, the Beeb has decided that global warming is too hot an issue.
2019		C. Hammer Silver [ebook] [I] wouldn’t describe him as a greenie [...] but he’s helped the campaign against a new development.
2020		G. Disher Consolation 51: [T]op-of-the-range hiking boots, Gore-Tex jacket and designer eyewear. The farmers around here would take one look and think greenie.