onkusadj.
/ˈɒŋkəs/, U.S. /ˈɔŋkəs/, /ˈɑŋkəs/, Australian English /ˈɔŋkəs/, New Zealand English /ˈɒŋkəs/ slang (Australian and New Zealand). Now rare.
1. New Zealand. Good; pleasant.Quot. 1944 is ambiguous and may have either a good or a bad connotation (cf. sense 2).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > [adjective]
goodOE
winlyOE
snella1000
winc1275
boonc1325
cleana1375
tidya1375
positivea1398
comelyc1400
kindc1400
kindly?a1425
well-formeda1425
trim?a1513
wally?a1513
bonnya1525
delicatea1533
goodlike1562
sappy1563
bein1567
rum1567
benedict1576
warrantable1581
true (also good, sure) as touch1590
goodlisomea1603
respectable1603
clever1738
amusing1753
plummy1787
bone1793
brickish1843
mooi1850
ryebuck1859
spandy1868
greatisha1871
healthy1878
popular1884
beefy1903
onkus1910
quies1919
cushty1929
high-powered1969
not shabby1975
the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > [adjective]
winsomea900
sweetc900
likingeOE
i-quemec950
lieflyOE
winlyOE
hereOE
thankfulc1000
merryOE
queemc1175
beina1200
willea1200
leesomec1200
savouryc1225
estea1250
i-wilc1275
winc1275
welcomea1300
doucea1350
well-pleasingc1350
acceptablea1382
pleasablea1382
pleasanta1382
pleaseda1382
acceptedc1384
amiablec1384
well-likinga1387
queemfulc1390
flattering1393
pleasinga1398
well-queeminga1400
comelyc1400
farrandc1400
greable1401
goodlyc1405
amicable?a1425
placablec1429
amene1433
winful1438
listyc1440
dulcet1445
agreeablec1450
favourousc1485
sweetly?a1500
pleasureful?c1502
dulcea1513
grate1523
prettya1529
plausible1541
jolly1549
dulcoratec1550
toothsome1551
pleasurable1557
tickling1558
suavec1560
amenous1567
odoriferous?1575
perfumed1580
glada1586
tickle1593
pleasurous1595
favoursome1601
dulcean1606
gratifying1611
Hyblaean1614
gratulatea1616
arrident1616
solacefula1618
pleasantable1619
placid1628
contentsome1632
sapid1640
canny1643
gustful1647
peramene1657
pergrateful1657
tastefula1659
complacent1660
placentiousa1661
gratifactorya1665
bland1667
suavious1669
palatable1683
placent1683
complaisant1710
nice1747
tasty1796
sweetsome1799
titbit1820
connate1836
cunning1843
mooi1850
gemütlich1852
sympathique1859
congenial1878
sympathetic1900
sipid1908
onkus1910
sympathisch1911
1910 N.Z. Truth 11 June 1 But ‘Critic’ asks the said gentleman to submit the following sentence to any school boy or a semi-intelligent adult: ‘The Opposition are whipping the cat because they've got Buckley's chance of pulling the leg of the farmer with an onkus [sic] freehold lurk.’
1938 Press (Christchurch) (McNab Slang) 2 Apr. 18 New Zealanders have their curiously sounding slang... ‘ongkus’ (good).
1944 A. F. St. Bruno Desert Daze 55 Now Auld Jock and Bluey, having successfully partnered a crown-and-anchor board in their Naafi, and having ‘done up’ the feloose A.W.L. in Cairo Y.M.C.A.'s, had arrived back at Maadi decidedly ‘onkus’.
2. Australian. Unpleasant or disagreeable. Of food or drink: inferior, of poor quality. Now rare.
ΚΠ
1918 G. C. Cooper Diary (MS., Austral. War Memorial Libr.) 17 Nov. Felt pretty ‘onkus’ in consequence of fall I had on deck that previous night.
1941 Furphy Flyer: Official Organ 2/24 Austral. Infantry 15 Oct. 1 The tucker may be onkus.
1962 D. McLean World Turned Upside Down 121 All this yabber about Danny is onkus.
1999 D. Seal Lingo 61 Onkus means disagreeable or unpleasant and was used in civilian life between the wars..only to stagger on well into the 1960s, though it is rarely heard today.
3. Australian. Disordered; out of order. rare.Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > [adjective] > specific modes of action or operation > faulty > of a mechanism
out of whack1906
onkus1941
hinky1961
1941 S. J. Baker Pop. Dict. Austral. Slang 51 Onkus, all wrong, incorrect; (of machinery) out of order.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1910