English

Alternative forms

• (swimming costume): budgie-smugglers

Noun

budgie smugglers

1. (Australia, New Zealand, informal, plural only) A style of tightfitting men's swimming costume cut like underwear briefs that covers the buttocks and groin but not the legs, especially worn in surf lifesaving and in swimming races.
   • 2006 July 9, Annabel Crabb, “UK learns rules of Texas hold 'em”, in The Sydney Morning Herald:

     Roughly, the rule goes: if you have just swum, are planning to swim soon or are reasonably proximate to a place where others are swimming, then your budgie smugglers are perfectly acceptable.

   • 2006 November 23, Stuart Rintoul, “Bracks's walk was on the wild side”, in The Australian:

     "Mr Baillieu has popped out of the water in his budgie-smugglers, but he doesn't reckon that climate change is a problem," Garrett scoffed. "I mean, give me a break."

   • 2012 January 11, Amy Findlay, “Awesome Ironman!”, in Milton Ulladulla Times:

     “If you think that men in budgie smugglers don’t look good, well all the blokes in this race still have it and they looked great,” she joked.

   • 2012 January 12, Kate Starke, “Smuggler hid illegal abalone in underpants”, in Herald Sun:

     A MAN has been fined and banned from recreational fishing in Victoria after confusing his budgie smugglers for abalone smugglers.

2. plural of budgie smuggler

Synonyms

• (swimming costume): See also Wikisaurus:swim briefs.