gunzel
(intransitive) To engage in railway enthusiast activities.
ˈɡʌnzl̩Documented since 1960s1960sBoomerhistorical148 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
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Born ~1960 · no dated citations yetBoomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →
Definitions
Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS
(intransitive) To engage in railway enthusiast activities.
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Australia
#2·Apr 27, 2026AUS
(Australia) A railway or tram enthusiast; particularly (formerly, _, derogatory) one who is overly enthusiastic or foolish.
'There're people who have an intellectual impairment,' he said, 'and studying trains seems a natural thing for them to gravitate to. And then there're people who have more of a hobby-style interest in it.' He feels gunzels are misunderst…
Origin: [[File:Spot that train^ - geograph.org.uk - 379698.jpg|thumb|Gunzels, or trainspotters, at Burton Lazars, Leicestershire, England, UK]] Origin uncertain; possibly from gunsel, from , from , diminutive of gans (compare , from Gans, ultimately from ). There is an unverified suggestion that the word was first used in the 1960s by staff of the Sydney Tramway Museum in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, to describe shabbily dressed trainspotters. They were apparently influenced by the word gunsel, which had been popularized in the film The Maltese Falcon (1941) based on the 1929 novel of the sa. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Australia
#3·Apr 27, 2026AUS
(Australia, by extension) An enthusiast or geek with a specific interest.
[L]ike many model train enthusiasts, he now takes some pride in being called a foamer, or a gunzel, or even a gricer – all names for those who enjoy model trains.
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