Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus./N.Z.) to have a fight; to beat, to hit; thus stoushing, a beating, an assault.

1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 Mar. 22/2: And we go where our own fancy draws us, / ’Mid liquor and light and such joys, / And, when she comes crying and jaws us, / We ‘stoush’ her in front of the boys.
1893–4		(?) H. Lawson ‘Shooting the Moon’ in Roderick (1972) 150: If you say a word, I’ll stoush yer!
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Jan. 13/1: It was a miracle that ‘Ned the Baker’ – a rale Italian lad from Oireland – did not ‘stouch’ the slanderer of the beloved old priest.
1901		W.S. Walker In the Blood 102: The ‘push’ had threatened to ‘stoush’ the soldiers.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 24 Jan. 10/5: [headline] The Cost of a Stoushing [...] he discolored Albe’s two eyes, knocked pieces off him generally and broke one of his ribs.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 29 May 4/7: Tell ’im yer’ll bring Bill in to stouch ’im!!
1906		N.Z. Truth 4 Aug. 5/7: He [...] stoushed t’other chap and was run in for assault and sent up.
1916		C.J. Dennis ‘The Call of Stoush’ in Moods of Ginger Mick 32: ’E’s ’ad ’is visions uv the Bonzer Tart; / An’ stoushed some coot to ease ’is swellin’ ’eart.
1916		Truth (Wellington) 23 Sept. 11/3: Fred Kay and Harry Stone are do to ‘stoush’ at the Melbourne Stadium this (Saturday) evening.
1923		Kipling ‘A Friend of the Family’ in Debits and Credits (1926) 309: ‘You’ll get over ’em in three hundred years or so—if you’re allowed to last so long.’ ‘Who’s going to stoush us?’ Orton asked fiercely.
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 STOUCH [...] to assault.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 272: Stouch, To: To fight. To thrash.
1927		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 20 Aug. 11/2: Slanguage [...] Cross out the incorrect: word or phrase In the following sentences: ‘Napoleon was stonkered (stoushed) at Waterloo’.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Stouch, to assault.
1938		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 26 Feb. 3/3: Not only did he announce his intention of stoushing the lady [...] but proceeded to lend action to words.
1939		K. Tennant Foveaux 142: It would just serve you right, if we let you loose, and you did stouch a copper and get pinched.
1947		D. Davin For the Rest of Our Lives 75: Old Sam O’Connell had to stoush a couple to stop them fighting.
1952		West Australian (Perth) 23 Aug. 20/2: Terms which are still popular — [...] stonker, king hit, stoush.
1973		(con. 1940s–60s) Hogbotel & ffuckes ‘The Bastard from the Bush’ in Snatches and Lays 82: Would you stoush a swell or Chinkee, slit his garret with a stone?
2000		Age (Melbourne) 29 Feb. 17/6: Scouting is not only about roughing it with the other chaps and stoushing with the Hun.

2. to stop, to cease.

1901

‘Rolf Boldrewood’ In Bad Company 14: But stoush all this yabber. You boil the billy.

3. in fig. uses, to defeat (e.g. in a race).

1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Dec. 11/3: ‘Well, boys, let us go and stoush this.’ And away they went to a pub. near by and liquidated the collection – as an antidote, doubtless, to the dry sermon.
1938		F. Anthony ‘Gus Tomlins’ in Me And Gus (1977) 134: He was utterly stoushed.

4. to steal.

1901

W.S. Walker In the Blood 112: Well, we’ve done our bit o’ stoushin’ to-night, an’ landed the divveys.

5. to consume (enthusiastically).

1913

Sport (Adelaide) 4 Oct. 4/2: Reg K could not stoush a good dinner, let alone one of the b-hoys .

6. to wound.

1918

Kia Ora Coo-ee 15 Apr. 20/3: Ah! Suff’rin’ ’ell! I’m goin’ ’Ome! I’m plugged, Bill! Stoushed in front! / I thought some’ow this mornin’ this was my last bloomin’ stunt!