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come the raw prawn

(Australia, informal, intransitive) To attempt to deceive or impose upon (someone).

ˈkʌm ðə ˈɹɑ ˈpɹɔn64 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇦🇺 Australian & NZ slang
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Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(Australia, informal, intransitive) To attempt to deceive or impose upon (someone).

1951, Dymphna Cusack, Florence James, 1957, Come In Spinner, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=PNzPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22come+the+raw+prawn%22|%22comes+the+raw+prawn%22|%22coming+the+raw+prawn%22|%22came+the+raw+prawn%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inau…
Origin: From World War II military slang. Construction obscure; suggestions are: * From act the part of + the + naive + (slang) fool — thus, to attempt to deceive by feigning ignorance. * From (putatively) perpetrate + the + raw prawn = something hard to swallow. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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