English
Noun
en-noun|sggovernment man|plgovernment men
- A representative of the government.
- A supporter of the government.
- context|AU|obsolete|euphemism In the days when Australia was a penal colony: a convict.
#: 1888: Whatever it was that had happened to him in the old times when he was a Government man he didnâ��t talk about. — w:Rolf Boldrewood|Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms 1
Usage notes
The term convict was considered an insult in early colonial Australia, government man was the approved euphemism (reference: w:Robert Hughes|Robert Hughes, The Fatal Shore, 1987, paperback ISBN 1-86046-150-6, page xi.). See convict for other terms.
Category:People
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