In Other Words: Fauxgans

Experts trace their origins back to the blokey billionaires of the 1980s. But don’t confuse Bondy or John ‘Pig’s Arse’ Elliott with the everyday fauxgan. The yobby (yobbo-yuppy) of the 1980s is an almost extinct breed. The first fauxgans appeared in the late 1990s when tradies got scarce and then fashionable. The first signs of mainstream fauxgans were the arrival of Merrick and Rosso, who groused their way into Ocker hearts across the nation. Fauxgan royalty finally hit the telly in the form of Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes, who out larrikin-ed larrikins and made ‘bein Stralyan’ a performance art. Today fauxgans may comb their fauxlets back so they are barely visible, but offer them a choice of beer of a cheeky imported merlot to spot them in a field.

In Other Words is a regular on the Big Issue's Ointment page. Fauxgans was the first one of the series.