An Australian slang expression describing someone as extremely lazy -- so lazy that even if a machine were doing all the breathing work for them, they still would not contribute any effort. The image of an iron lung (a respirator used for polio patients) makes the exaggeration darkly comic. It is a hyperbolic insult in the Australian tradition of colourful, deadpan dismissiveness.
Add your own interpretation of "wouldn't work in an iron lung".
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 slang words starting with W.
His boss used to say he wouldn't work in an iron lung, which the rest of the team found both harsh and accurate.
No comments yet — say something.
Australian slang for the ultimate insult to someone's work ethic — they're so lazy they wouldn't even work if a machine was doing the breathing for them. It's the kind of brutal, backhanded Australian humour that hits hard precisely because of its absurdity. The expression typically gets wheeled out when describing someone who's spectacularly, almost impressively, idle. Perfect for anyone who treats 'doing nothing' as a full-time career.
Don't ask him to help move the furniture — he wouldn't work in an iron lung, that one.
No comments yet — say something.
(AU, slang) Is lazy.
No comments yet — say something.