bludge

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2009 is: bludge • \BLUJ\  • verb, chiefly Australia & New Zealand 1 : to avoid work or responsibility 2 : to get something from or live on another by imposing on hospitality or good nature : sponge Examples: "If I want to go to Rotto, I’ll catch the ferry or bludge a ride on the new boat of one of my commodity-boomed nouveau riche friends." (Phil Haberland, The [Perth, Australia] Guardian Express, March 6, 2007) Did you know? Though they can be annoying, people who bludge -- bludgers -- are relatively harmless. On the other hand, a bully armed with a bludgeon -- a "bludgeoner" -- can cause serious harm. In the 19th century, "bludgeoner" was shortened to "bludger" and used as a slang word for "pimp." That "bludger" was certainly a kind of bully, one apparently willing to wield a bludgeon now and then to insure his livelihood. In the early 20th century, "bludge" became the verb for what a bludger does. By then, a somewhat softened "bludger" had appeared in Australia and New Zealand: the pimping and the bullying were eliminated, and the parasitical tendencies reduced to mere cadging or sponging. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.