ropeable

English

Alternative forms

• ropable

Etymology

From rope +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

ropeable (comparative more ropeable, superlative most ropeable)

1. Able to be roped and so restrained.
2. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Angry to the point of needing to be restrained from violent action.

   Synonym: fit to be tied

   • 1903, Tom Collins (Joseph Furphy), Such is Life: Being Certain Extracts From The Diary of Tom Collins, 2004, page 19,

     ′On′t ole Martin be ropeable when he sees that fence!

   • 2003, Dal Stivens, Jimmy Brockett: Portrait of a Notable Australian, page 115:

     As soon as I hit the cold air I got even more ropeable. The garage door caught when I was dragging it back and I gave it a God-almighty heave. There was a sharp crack and it came off the hinges.
     I wanted to smash something, tear something apart with my bare hands, aet fire to the bloody house.

   • 2009, Sean Dooley, Cooking with Baz, page 115:

     The phone rang a couple of hours later and it was Di. I have never heard her more ropable in my life; it is the only tongue-lashing I ever remember getting from her and it was excoriating.

   • 2009, Roberta Williams, Roberta Williams: My Life, unnumbered page:

     I was already angry that he had gone out and left me to clean all his shit up but to then find out he had gone off to see his little tart got me even more ropeable.

   • 2011, Christopher Green, New Toddler Taming, page 2:

     As the weeks wore on and the toddler′s tantrums continued, the mother reached her wits′ end and the father became ropeable.

Anagrams

• operable