English

Adjective

stubby ‎(comparative stubbier, superlative stubbiest)

1. Abounding with stubs.
2. Like a stub; short, especially cut short, thick and stiff; stunted; stubbed.
   • 1996, Botho Strauß, Roslyn Theobald (translator), Couples, Passerby, page 17,

     The mouth with its bright, shiny grimace exposes a stubby row of teeth, from left to right growing stubbier and stubbier, with more and more cavities.

   • 2003, Katina Z. Jones, The Everything Palmistry Book, page 8,

     For instance, long, thin hands generally indicate that a person is creative and intuitive, while shorter, stubbier hands typically connote a hardworking or athletic type of person.

   • 2009, George P. Hansen, Trilobites of Black Cat Mountain, iUniverse, page 249,

     The front-most spines are the shortest, stubbiest, and most forward directed.

Synonyms

• (abounding with stubs):
• (short and thick): squat

Translations

Noun

stubby ‎(plural stubbies)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US) A small, squat beer bottle.
   • 1998, Randy Ray, Mark Kearney, The Great Canadian Trivia, page 201,

     While most stubbies looked alike, there was one distinct stubby brought out by Carling-O′Keefe. […] The era of the stubby was short, however. Although a superior container, it was not chic enough for the 1980s drinker.

   • 2002, A. S. Finney, Gully Ghost, Eloquent Books, US, page 74,

     Annie looked at him a bit surprised and came in, and he realized she carried a bottle of beer with her. Not a stubby, but a long neck.

   • 2004, Michael McGirr, Bypass: The Story of a Road, 2005, Pan Macmillan Australia, page 117,

     Near the memorial were some wine casks and an unopened stubby of beer, whose label was yet to fade, which had been left to slake the thirst of the deceased.

   • 2005, Vikas Swarup, Q & A, 2006, Black Swan, page 133,

     Another notable thing that happens this month is the debut of Spycatcher on Star TV. […] But come Wednesday night, he sits in the TV room with his stubby of Foster′s beer and watches Steve Nolan catch dirty foreigners (called Commies) selling secrets to some Russian organization called the KGB.

   • 2008, Albert Drake, The Age of Hot Rods: Essays on Rods, Custom Cars and Their Drivers from the 1950s to Today, McFarland & Co, US, page 45,

     I had everything planned, and later I kept a stubby behind the spare tire of my ′37 Ford until the bottle was better aged than the beer. I don′t know what happened to it but I′m surprised that it didn′t explode with the heat of that summer.

   • 2008, Ron Bowden, The Lazy Brewer′s Handbook, BOOKSnTHAT, Australia, page 4,

     A schooner (425ml in Queensland) , when you allow for the collar, is not much more beer than a stubby. A stubby of home brew costs me 25 cents.

   • 2009, Graham Seal, Great Australian Stories: Legends, Yarns and Tall Tales, 2010, ReadHowYouWant, page 253,

     The Liquor Trades Union member concedes that both dogs are quite clever, but says his is even cleverer. His dog, named Measure, is told to go and fetch a stubby of beer and pour seven ounces into a ten-ounce glass. It does this perfectly.

   • 2009, Bill Marsh, Great Australian Stories: Outback Towns and Pubs, 2011, unnumbered page,

     Anyhow, so I goes into the bar and there′s the donkey having a beer with a tourist. See, the way they done it was, they′d hold up the stubby and the donkey would just guzzle it down, like there was no tomorrow.

Usage notes

The stubby (the beer bottle) is widely used in Australia, New Zealand and in Europe. In Canada it was used almost exclusively from 1962-1986, as part of a standardisation drive.
The alternative form stubbie is common in Australian and New Zealand English usage.

Alternative forms

• stubbie

Derived terms

• Darwin stubby
• stubby holder

See also

• Beer bottle#Stubby on Wikipedia.Wikipedia