Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) to run off, to leave.

1908

Truth (Brisbane) 26 Aug. 9/3: When at last she did a brusher / I may tell you I was glad.

(Aus.) to be rejected, to be snubbed.

1911

E. Dyson ‘Dukie M’Kenzie’s Dawnce’ in Benno and Some of the Push 33: Mr. Dickson, mindful of the ignominy due to the man who gets ‘brusher’, thought he was combining air indifference.

1. to obtain or borrow something (esp. money) and fail to return it; to fail to pay one’s bills.

1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Jan. 8/3: He wedded – yet he did not prove / A champion baby-husher. To ‘blue’ the ‘sugar’ he did love, / And give the ‘old girl’ ‘brusher.’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 Jan. 6/3: A long story was told about Mr. Craven some time ago – about his clearing out and giving all his tradesman ‘brusher’.

2. to abandon a task.

1902		‘Dads Wayback’ in Sun. Times (Sydney) 27 July 10/1: ‘Jimmy figured out that their pair o’ ’em had just earned er crown fer ther fortnight, so he give that job brusher’.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 239: The whole bloomin’ fact’ry got er bit ratty erbout it, ’n’ was thinkin’ iv givin’ their grip brusher.

3. to run away (from).

1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Jan. 7/4: She had been with him but a short time when she wrote to her sister, announcing that she was dangerously ill, and that she had made up her mind to give her fond admirer le brusher (as they call a moonlight flit in France).
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Dec. 29/4: On his return the news was ‘broken’ to him by Ebenezer, the bell-man. ‘I say, Johnson – your old woman’s given you brusher, and gone down to Ah Sam’s.’.
1911		Truth (Perth) 18 Feb. 8/6: But what could he be expectin / From a flamer like that one, / Save for her to give him brusher, / Soon as all his cash were done.