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• bogan
  bogan

  noun

  a backwater, usually narrow and tranquil.
• Bogan
  Bogan

  noun

  Louise, 1897–1970, U.S. poet.

bogan

¹ American  

[boh-guhn] / ˈboʊ gən /

noun

Northern Maine and Canadian (chiefly Maritimes and Northern New Brunswick).

1. a backwater, usually narrow and tranquil.

2. any narrow stretch of water.

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Bogan ² American  

[boh-gan, boh-guhn] / boʊˈgæn, ˈboʊ gən /

noun

1. Louise, 1897–1970, U.S. poet.

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bogan ¹ British  

/ ˈbəʊɡən /

noun

1. a fool

2. a hooligan

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bogan ² British  

/ ˈbəʊɡən /

noun

1. Also called: logan.   pokelogan.  (esp in the Maritime Provinces) a sluggish side stream

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Etymology

Origin of bogan

First recorded in 1895–1900; apparently shortening of pokelogan, perhaps conflated with bog ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bogan Bogan

But Louis argues bogan is the ultimate equaliser as the informal slang works across the social spectrum, whether it's in Australia or the world of Russian aristocrats.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025

"There's a whole lot of different types of bogan," Louis says.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025

Dr. Laugesen noted that “fauxgan,” or fake bogan, was becoming the bigger insult, while finding your “inner bogan” was an honorable goal, suggesting Australians were eager to reclaim their more unsophisticated past.

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2022

Lambie quickly appropriated the insult: “I will use the business contacts, advice and wisdom I’ve gained … to help restore hope and rebuild our beautiful state – not bad for a bogan.’

From US News ● Jul. 22, 2014

They were harmless, yet the kingfisher rushed upon them, clattering and scolding like a fishwife, and harried them all away into a quiet bogan.

From A Little Brother to the Bear and other Animal Stories by Long, William J. (William Joseph)

Economist Vicki Bogan, who wasn’t involved with creating the formula, views it as a useful bridge between academic theory and everyday investors’ needs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

“It might not be perfect, but it gives a solid, kind of directionally correct way to think about your portfolio choice,” said Bogan, a professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

Bogan, a term which first emerged in Australia in the 1980s, initially meant an "unsophisticated and uncultured person" with negative connotations, but not for Louis.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025

"My initial response was being really sad that we'd lose this brand new, vibrant ecosystem," Bogan said.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2024

The side car, upon which Mike Bogan and his wife and child were riding from their little farm outside the town to the place of departure, was stopped at the side of the narrow street.

From Strangers and Wayfarers by Jewett, Sarah Orne