Australian Word Map

sluggos

plural noun men's swimwear: *Hey, where's me sluggos, I can't go swimming naked! –DR KARL KRUSZELNICKI, 2002.

Contributor's comments: The word 'sluggos' was an accepted alternative for the word 'Speedos' when I was at school in the 80s. 'Sluggos' is, of course, synonymous with 'dick stickers' and similar pseudonyms and refers to the appearance of a 'slug' in one's swimming costume. I might also add that other than occasions when one might be participating in formal swimming competitions, it was generally considered poor form to wear sluggos. You wore swimming or surf (board) shorts. I believe this general rule is as current now as it may have been in the past.

Contributor's comments: [NSW informant] Those who say sluggos may also say dickstickers.

Contributor's comments: In WA we use the term 'sluggers' all the time, even in the country. Not sluggos but 'sluggers'.

Contributor's comments: We call sluggos dick togs here on the Sunshine Coast.

Contributor's comments: As an all year round ocean pool swimmer I always refer to my speedo type costumes as sluggos or dickstickers - I find the young blokes I work with will not wear them - they think I am sick cause I live most of my homelife in my dickstickers!!!!!!!

Contributor's comments: [Melbourne informant] Obviously "sluggos" is used by a very select few. Have never heard the term myself.

Contributor's comments: It isn't just swimmers - it is also distinct from Boardshorts. Ie, the sluggos are only the brief-type swimmers, not all men's swimmers.

Contributor's comments: I grew up in Murwillumbah, northern NSW. This term was used by everyone when I was growing up (1964 to 1982). I now live in Gladstone QLD and no-one knows what I am talking about.

Contributor's comments: My children grew up in WA in the 80's but speedos were always referred to as 'ballhuggers'.

Contributor's comments: My young nephews in Brisbane call them 'sluggos'...and won't be caught dead in them.

Contributor's comments: Tight men's swimsuit. When worn, one's slug can often be seen. Speedos, dick stickers, etc.: "I'm not swimming with you if you wear sluggoes."

Contributor's comments: Our mixed group referred to Dick Togs as DT's. It kept a note of decorum in the conversation.

Contributor's comments: I got a good laugh from the discussions about sluggos. Americans know Sluggo as the name of a comic strip character, a little boy who is the friend of a little girl named Nancy -- they are eternal pals. Here on the other side of the Pacific on the Sunshine Coast of California, we call speedos "weinie pinchers" as well as other more colorful names.

Contributor's comments: Sluggos - I first heard this pungent, aptly descriptive term from a friend who was a male lifesaver on Sydney's North Shore in the late `70s early `80s - sluggos were as all informants say tight speedos that particularly emphasised a male's "slug" but the term was used by the lifesavers - the squad was somewhere round the Manly area - to denote the speedos that the lifesavers wore every day as opposed to the 1930s style parade and formal occasion bathers with shoulder straps. I never heard the term in Melbourne until my friend moved from Melbourne to Sydney about 1983.

Contributor's comments: Growing up in Rocky they were referred to predominantly as Dick Togs (DTs) or more affectionately as Meat Hangers.

Contributor's comments: I have never hear this term except from family who come from NSW. In WA, the usual term is 'codjocks'. In WA, all the usual preferences and prejudices apply to the word 'codjocks' and to the article of clothing to which it refers.

Contributor's comments: 'Sluggos' ...or dick togs or Clubbie dicks as 'Speedos' became the cossie of the day! Replaced the old boxer type and competed with the surfboard 'boardies'. Still seen as acceptable bathing equipment for the older male swimmer. Usually found in quantities in the 'undie' drawer.

Contributor's comments: Synonym for "cossies", used mainly in Eastern beach areas of Sydney I think.

Contributor's comments: I grew up in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, in the 70s Sluggos was what everyone called speedo type togs. All the kids wore them to swim at the beach surf club or pool. I never heard the term Dick Stickers till I visited relatives the same age in Albury who would not be seen dead swimming in Speedo type togs. All the kids wore "footy Niks" tight shorts worn in Aussie Rule geographical areas. These shorts were very unusual to us Rugby zone boys. At my school Sluggo type underpants were prominent although some kids had white Y fronts which were labelled shit catchers. Wearing a singlet under your shirt was definately a un cool thing to do. Board shorts were very popular however the Use of board shorts was as street wear or for surfing.

Contributor's comments: [Melbourne informant] Sluggos is the term I commonly use but I also use 'Budgie Smugglers' in reference to the male package when placed in sluggos.

Contributor's comments: I heard "DTs" around Brisbane and near north and south coasts in the 80's, but the more colorful term was "Dick Daks". I first encountered the word "sluggos" when I stumbled across this page.

Contributor's comments: When I was at school we used to call them D.P.'s - Dick Pokers, Wollongong NSW.

Contributor's comments: "Sluggos" was used in Narrabeen (NSW) in the 70's.

Contributor's comments: [New England informant] A speedo style swimming costume: "He's wearing sluggo's."

Contributor's comments: male swimming briefs. Pronounced slug-ohs. The term could be used in place of "speedos" or "cossies" when talking about swimming attire. As far as I know this term is only used on Sydney's Northern Beaches."

Contributor's comments: Having spent my teen years (1977-1984) in Sydney's west, I had heard the term "Budgie Smugglers" sometimes used, but we generally referred to them as "Dick Pokers" and might use the phrase as follows "Have a go at Dick Poker Dan over there" when referring to a wearer of this clothing we would never be caught dead in.

Contributor's comments: Through an English friend in the late 80's in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs we began calling speedos 'banana hammocks or 'grape smugglers'.

Contributor's comments: Also known as nylon disgustings for obvious reasons, particularly when losing elasticity and gaining transparency - central west NSW but understood in other NSW places.

Contributor's comments: These are known as CJ's to myself and my friends - "Cock Jocks". I had never heard of any of the other nicknames before now.

Contributor's comments: Growing up Sydney - Inner West , we called sluggos or male speedos "dick pointers"

Contributor's comments: I'm from Newcastle and have used the terms Sluggos, dickstickers, budgie-smugglers and banana-hammock.

Contributor's comments: I've lived in the western suburbs of Brisbane all my life (44 years) and sluggos has always been used as slang for speedos.

Contributor's comments: In Sydney the term used was Slug Huggers or Sluggos for short.

Contributor's comments: When I was a teenager in the late 1960's around Cronulla, the term for speedos was "scungies". I never heard the term sluggos used.