(hyperbole, chiefly, UK, Australia) Everyone; a great crowd; a jumbled assortment of people.
The world and his wife were at the opening – we could barely move.
No comments yet — say something.
Add your own interpretation of "the world and his wife".
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.
See all Australian & NZ slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all .