Gonger
/ˈɡɒŋə/noun
Australian informal slang for a person from Wollongong, New South Wales.
Did you know?Wollongong is widely nicknamed “The Gong,” but the deeper origin of the place-name itself is uncertain and may derive from Dharawal language.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Dharawal
Wollongong
“An Indigenous place-name; its precise original meaning remains disputed.”
19th Century
English
Wollongong
“The name of the New South Wales coastal settlement and region.”
20th Century
Australian English
The Gong
“An informal nickname for Wollongong.”
20th Century
Australian English
Gonger
“A person from Wollongong, formed from “The Gong” with the agent suffix “-er”.”
Modern Australian English
English
gonger
“Informal term for a resident or native of Wollongong.”
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