What does blowie mean?
A 'blowie' is the colloquial Australian and New Zealand term for a blowfly, the large green- or blue-bodied fly of the family Calliphoridae notorious for laying its eggs on exposed meat, carrion, and waste. The name derives from the verb 'to blow', an old farming term for flies depositing their eggs or maggots on flesh, as also seen in 'blowfly'. Blowies are a familiar presence in the hot months across Australasia, where they are regarded less with fear than with resigned irritation — they buzz persistently around barbecues, picnics, and kitchens, and covering food outdoors is a well-worn necessity. The word is informal and regionally marked; speakers outside Australia and New Zealand typically say 'blowfly' or 'bluebottle' instead. Its vivid association with summer heat and spoiled food gives it a distinctively local flavour in Australian English.
nounAn Australasian colloquial name for a blowfly, any large metallic-green or blue fly of the family Calliphoridae that lays its eggs in meat or other decaying matter.
- A blowfly; a large metallic green or blue fly (family Calliphoridae) that deposits its eggs on meat and carrion.
- By extension in Australian slang, any nuisance fly buzzing around food or people.
"Keep the meat covered out here, or the blowies will be on it in minutes."
"The barbecue was barely lit before the first blowie arrived."
"She waved away the blowies hovering over the picnic table."
Regular plural formation; commonly used when referring to swarms or multiple nuisance flies.
"The blowies were relentless all through the long weekend."
In Australia, 'blowie' is the word every summer picnicker dreads — it's the slang name for the blowflies that famously swarm anything edible within seconds.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blowie
The word is formed by adding the diminutive suffix '-ie' to 'blow', itself short for 'blowfly'. The underlying verb 'to blow' refers to a fly laying its eggs (or producing maggots) on meat, an old usage long established in rural and butchery contexts. The resulting compound arose in nineteenth-century colonial Australia, where the insect is a ubiquitous part of everyday life, and it remains standard informal vocabulary there today.
How blowie is actually used
Informal and distinctly Australian/New Zealand; unfamiliar or quaint-sounding elsewhere in the English-speaking world. Neutral in tone but often carries connotations of annoyance, heat, summer, and unsanitary conditions.
Easily confused with blowie
'Blowy' is an adjective meaning windy or breezy, whereas 'blowie' is an Australian noun for a blowfly.