arvo
nounUK /ˈɑː(ɹ).vəʊ/ · AU /ˈɐː.vəʉ/
Etymology Clipping of afternoon + -o (“colloquialising suffix”).
1
Australia, New Zealand, Informal Afternoon.
- “Rope and tomahawk,” explained Col. “We put them here this arvo when I came down and whistled first time.”1960, John Gunn, The Humpy in the Hills, page 46:
- The usual reaction of a footsoldier observing such incidents is well summed up by the comments of Private Derrick in the Salient at Tobruk: ‘Seen a human side of the war yesterday arvo Red Cross partys [sic] burying dead & treating wounded one of our partys were fired on by enemy & I will always remember it’.⁵⁰2000, Mark Johnston, Fighting the Enemy: Australian Soldiers and their Adversaries in World War II, page 33:
2 more examples
- ‘We'll fly you out at seven this arvo—but bring them down a little early, just in case we need to think of something else.’2010, Chris Bray, The 1000 Hour Day: Two Adventurers Take on the World's Harshest Island, unnumbered page:
- “Yeah, he only works on a Saturday arvo,” Kelly told her. “I think the place is packed on that day, because girls come from everywhere just to get a glimpse of him. He's hot as.”2010, Rebecca Iannone, The Invisible String: The Secrets That Bind, page 55:
- Synonyms
- afternoon
- Derived terms
- 'sarvo, sarvo