blue heeler

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English

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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blue heeler (plural blue heelers)

  1. (Australia) A blue-coated variety of the Australian Cattle Dog breed.
    • 2003, Larry McMurtry, Duane's Depressed[1], page 75:
      Shorty the Sixth, as he was sometimes called, had been a very winning puppy, and they had kept him at home until he began to exhibit the same tendencies that Duane's blue heelers always exhibited, that is, a tendency to herd children in the same way they would have herded cattle or sheep: they nipped their heels.
    • 2007, Graham Greenwood, A Truckie's Dream: The Allan Scott Story : His Official Biography[2], page 113:
      He always has his blue heeler dog in his office tucked away under his feet or near the door.
    • 2008, Elizabeth Bruce, A Show Off, Just Like Your Father[3], page 92:
      For some time, Dan and Pat had been at me to get a dog so we took a trip to the Yagoona RSPCA and came back with a blue heeler pup.
  2. (Australia, slang) A police officer.
    • 2008, Deborah N. David, The Janus Project[4], page 382:
      “Take a gander son, but be quick about it,” he said lighting a cigarette. “The blue heelers come by here and start snoopin about.”