subs. (old Australian).—A convict.
1864. S. M. SMYTHE, Ten Months in the Fiji Islands, p. vii. The men are said to be very touchy at being called ‘convicts:’ ‘prisoners,’ at least, they expect: among themselves, ‘government-man’ is the euphemisim in vogue.
1883. Graphic, 17 March, p. 262, c. 3. They never settle down as thousands of our GOVERNMENT MEN cheerfully did in Australia after they had their freedom.
