spin n.3
1. (Aus./N.Z.) an experience, a piece of luck, whether good or bad.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Dead Bird (Sydney) 23 Nov. 5/4: But if he don’t [win], for what I’ve planked, I’ll have a decent spin, sir. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | On the Anzac Trail 150: We had a crook spin. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | (con. WWI) Somme Mud 318: Discipline is very elastic now [...] and we appreciate the spin we’re being given. | |
| Coonardoo 188: The life was rough on a woman [...] Mollie had had a crook spin when the children were little. | |
| Morn. Bulletin (Rockhampton) 5 May 5/4: They would keep on digging into their claim, / ‘Welcome Spin’ — They’d given it a name. | |
| ‘Short Shift Saturday’ in Mann Coast to Coast 225: ‘Aw, I got a spin,’ said Tom. | |
| Lucky Palmer 203: I’m having a tough spin, ‘Lucky’ [...] I need money badly. | |
| (con. 1936–46) Winged Seeds (1984) 368: She married the wrong man, she says, and has had a crook spin ever since. | |
| Sun. Times (Perth) 3 June 4/3: [heading] Animals Have Better ‘Spin’. People aren’t so cruel to animals nowadays, said a RSPCA spokesman. | |
| Till Human Voices Wake Us 3: Latterly, the individual has been getting a rougher spin than ever. | |
| Maori Girl 261: Give her a decent spin now and she’ll turn out all right. | |
| (con. 1930s) ‘Keep Moving’ 30: Whenever a cocky complained of having a tough spin, or the bottom’s out of the wheat market. | |
| Bug (Aus.) 24 Feb. 🌐 Betty the Bike was ‘practically a virgin’, a fact she dutifully reminded you of every time she let you take her out of the garage for a spin. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 197: spin Luck or fate, in the phrases a crook/rough/tough spin for a bad time and fair spin for a good or successful time, neither achieved unless you try or give it a spin From the act of spinning the two coins in the game of two-up From WWI ANZ. |
2. a try, a chance.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Tramp Diary in Jack London On the Road (1979) 54: Once in a while some crack crew gives us a spin. | |
| ‘The Favourite’ in Station Days in Maoriland (1952 64: So, you plank on half-a-nicker, for you know you’ll get a spin. | |
| City of Night 36: Why dont you give being in my . . . a spin. | |
| (con. 1930s) ‘Keep Moving’ 18: Get out. Yous’ve had a good spin. | |
| Indep. on Sun. Culture 26 Mar. 10: An Aussie spin on Fanny Price. |
3. variety, type.
| Tommy Atkins of the Ramchunders 274: ‘What spin av a man is he? Is he not fat an’ fussy, an’ full o’ conceit. |
In phrases
(Aus.) to toss the coins in a game of two-up.
| Aus. Lang. |
fair treatment, a reasonable chance.
| Jimmy Brockett 161: We’d had a pretty fair spin with the syndicate and had cleaned up six thousand pounds last year. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 197: spin Luck or fate, in the phrases a crook/rough/tough spin for a bad time and fair spin for a good or successful time […] From the act of spinning the two coins in the game of two-up From WWI ANZ. |
to have a go.
| Lowspeak. |
1. bad luck; a (period of) ill fortune.
| Aussie (France) X Jan. 10/1: ‘Well, it’s just like this,’ I says, ‘the boys have been ’avin’ a damn rough spin, / And if you don’t take ’em out for a spell, they’ll be turnin’ the war right in.’. | |
| Advertiser (Adelaide) 26 Nov. 18/3: [heading] A Rough Spin. Recently Mr J.H. Flannagan lost by death his English colt. | |
| Townsville Daily Bull. 20 Jan. 2/5: Although they were good men, they got a ‘rough spin’. | |
| Sun. Times (Perth) 23 Mar. 8s/4: [heading] Tough Spin [...] I’m not complaining [...] I’m just saying it’s my bad luck. | |
| Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 61: This could be a big break for Barry after the terribly rough spin he’d been having. | |
| Eng. Lang. in Aus. and N.Z. 107: The list of items valid in both countries is a long one and would include [...] rough spin ‘a hard time of it’. | |
| Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 94/1: rough spin unlucky period. | |
| Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988]. |
2. unfair treatment.
| Mail (Adelaide) 17 Mar. 1s/1: He’s givin’ us a pretty rough spin. | |
| Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 32: I’d had a bit of a rough spin over here. |