Joe Blake
Australian rhyming slang for 'snake,' with 'Joe Blake' rhyming with 'snake.' Like most rhyming slang, it is typically used with only the first word ('a Joe Blake' rather than 'a Joe Blake snake').
Definitions
Australian rhyming slang for 'snake,' with 'Joe Blake' rhyming with 'snake.' Like most rhyming slang, it is typically used with only the first word ('a Joe Blake' rather than 'a Joe Blake snake'). The term is well-established in Australian English rhyming slang and appears in glossaries of Australian vernacular. It carries a casual, larrikin tone. Whether 'Joe Blake' refers to a real person or is an invented rhyming placeholder is not definitively established — the name may simply have been chosen for its sound.
He nearly stepped on a Joe Blake hiding under the corrugated iron — gave him the fright of his life.
Comments
(Australia, rhyming slang) A snake.
Joe Blake means: A snake.. It is mainly Australian English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Joe Blake means: A snake.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
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- Joe Soap57%
British slang for a gullible person who gets taken advantage of, used as a fall guy, or volunteered for unpleasant tasks without much say in the matter. A Joe Soap is the one who ends up washing the dishes at the party, takes the blame for someone else's mistake, or gets roped into the worst assignment because nobody thought to say no on his behalf. The name is general enough to apply to any hapless everyman stuck holding the bag.