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random


1. a non-local or outsider.
2. an idiot: what a random!

Contributor's comments: Among the people I know, a 'random' is not exactly an idiot. It is just a mildly pejorative term for a person one doesn't know.

Contributor's comments: At the residential college I was living at in Sydney several years ago, 'random' meant a stranger - it seemed to be common at residential colleges through Sydney. e.g. "Is her boyfriend from college?" "Nah, some random."

Contributor's comments: The word "random" particularly on the south coast between Lake Illawarra and Ulladulla also tends to have the traditional meaning of the word but used quite differently. For example, "random Dave" means 'some guy named Dave but that's all we know about him'. Or "random joke" means a joke that's not funny (Literally: it was a joke but that's all we know about it!)

Contributor's comments: [Melbourne informant] Used when describing a group of people when the detail of who they are is not improtant to the context of the story: "I was playing soccer on the weekend with some random people when..."

Contributor's comments: Random is also used in an unexpected situation possibly with the suggested derogatory undercurrent. If someone was seen to do something strange a comment would be to a third person that the action was random.

Contributor's comments: In WA it means unplanned, unexpected can be good or bad, but it is usually said to avoid going into detail.