Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. gin.

1800

Sporting Mag. Apr. XVI 27/2: The much admired Cantata of ‘Come, tip us a glass of True Blue.’.

2. a policeman.

1853

Bell’s Life in Sydney 4 June 3/2: She was soon taken ny some other of the True Blues, and hauled off to the chokee.

describing a regular, dedicated drinker.

a.1661

‘Upon Cromwell’s pulling out the Long Parliament. 1653’ in Rump Poems and Songs (1662) i 222: My Story now ended come viva St. George, / That old true blew Lad, and Hospitable-Saint, / Bring a Butt of good Sack to fill up my Gorge.

1. (Aus./N.Z.) the absolute truth.

1913		Wkly Times (Melbourne) 4 Jan. 5/2: ‘Would you like me to bring it out, and play to you here?’ ‘True dinkum?’ he asked, his pale little face, alight.
1914		Wkly TImes (Melbourne) 19 Dec. 8/3: ‘True dinkum, old chap... See my books, an’ slate, an’ things’.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 217: true dinks Assurance of truth, a contraction of ‘true dinkum’, a variant of ‘square dinkum’ or ‘fair dinkum’ [...] ANZ early C20.

2. (Aus.) an admirable person, a ‘regular bloke’; used adv. as incontrovertibly, unarguably.

1919		Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 9 Aug. 9/3: Does anything seem more nauseating to the ‘true dinkum’ than to be welcomed home by a cold footer.
1958		Sydney Morn. Herald 5 Mar. 1/10: From calm conditions a 70mph true dinkum blue southerly buster came up.
1969		Kansas City Times (MO) 7 Oct. 1/5: Of true ‘dinkum Aussies’ — whose fathers had been born in Australia — there were only there I knew.

a trusty, honest person.

c.1600		Shakespeare Hamlet I v: Ah, ha, boy! say’st thou so? art thou there, truepenny?
1604		Marston Malcontent III iii: Illo, ho, ho, ho! Art there, old truepenny?
1618		Fletcher Loyal Subject I ii i: Go, go thy ways, old true-peny; Thou hast one fault, Thou art ev’n too valiant.
1662		‘M.W.’ Marriage Broaker IV i: Farewell old noble true-penny, farewell.
1695		Congreve Love for Love IV i: Aha! Old truepenny, say’st thou so?
a.1825		R. Forby Vocab. of East Anglia n.p.: True-penny, s. Generally, ‘Old True-penny’, [...] hearty old fellow; staunch and trusty; true to his purpose or pledge .
1838		W. Holloway Dict. of Provincialisms 178/1: True-Penny, Old True-penny. A hearty old fellow, one who is true to his promise.

see trusty trout n.

(US) genuine.

1887

Lantern (N.O.) 28 May 3: When a for-true doctor come to see him.

(orig. W.I.) a general intensifying phr., in all honesty, without a doubt.

1947

N. Algren Neon Wilderness (1986) 44: We went to battle then for true.

absolutely true.

1842

Leeds Times 25 June 7/1: ‘Is that good spout which you now represent quite Apostolic?’ ‘True as bricks!’.

see sure as hogs are made of bacon under sure as... phr.

(orig. US black) an affirmative phr.

1997–2001		Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 true dat 1. an expression of affirmation. (Person 1: ‘He’s hot!’ Person 2: ‘True dat.’) 2. a question of fact. (‘I hear you broke up with your boy. True dat?’).
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 true dat Definition: bastardization of the phrase, ‘true that’ which means ‘I agree.’ Example: Ho 1: Man I hate it when Billy G gives me the crabs. Ho 2: True Dat.
2005		R. Cea No Lights, No Sirens 126: ‘You the motherfucker, Tatico. You everything they say, true that, C, true that!’ .
2008		R. Price Lush Life 8: ‘Moneys money. ‘True dat’.
2012		C. Stella Rough Riders 120: ‘You wave that cash, she might get used to it.’ ‘True dat’.
2017		A. De Bruyn Escaping the Amazon 221: ‘It’s funny how one only believes in God after He gets you out of a bind.’ ‘True that,’ Vasile added. ‘He helped me find my car keys once’.

see struesbob! excl.