rort

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See also: rört

English

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Etymology

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Probably a back-formation from rorty (boisterous or rowdy, saucy, dissipated, or risqué). Originally slang but now in common usage.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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rort (plural rorts)

  1. (Australia, New Zealand) A scam or fraud, especially involving the misappropriation of public money or resources.
    • 2008, Australian House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), page 4067,
      Not all of the projects were bad or rorts; the majority were no doubt valuable to their communities.
    • 2009, Justine Vaisutis, Australia, Lonely Planet, page 81:
      It′s one of the great rorts in Australia that for overstaying your welcome (even by five minutes) in a space that may cost only a few dollars to park in, local councils are prepared to fine you anywhere from $50 to $120.
    • 2011, Malcolm Knox, Greg Chappell, Fierce Focus, unnumbered page:
      The rort was that South Australia and Western Australia, who controlled their grounds, were allowed to double-dip. In Perth, for instance, the WACA sold season tickets, which they marketed in the form of memberships, to everything at the ground, including football. They had a huge membership and were rolling in money, but because they′d sold their tickets in memberships, they declared a loss on the cricket Test match. At the end of the season, though, they′d get the same twofourteenths[sic] of Pool Two as Queensland.

Verb

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rort (third-person singular simple present rorts, present participle rorting, simple past and past participle rorted)

  1. (Australia, New Zealand, transitive) To cheat or defraud.
    • 1992, Victorian Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), page 496:
      He wants to change the system for the benefit of all and wants to stop the incredible rorting that has occurred within the prisons system.
    • 2009 January 30, Ben Packham, “Same-sex couples accused of cheating system”, in Herald Sun[1], archived from the original on 2 February 2009:
      SINGLE pensioners living together will come under scrutiny from Centrelink looking for same-sex couples rorting welfare.
    • 2011, James Morton, Susanna Lobez, Kings of Stings: The Greatest Swindles From Down Under, page 118:
      York is then alleged to have rorted the doctor out of his share.

Anagrams

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