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oxygen thief


an idiot: You're nothing but an oxygen thief mate.

Contributor's comments: My father used this term in Sydney NSW railway workshops 1975-1995 for any person so useless that his continued existence was considered a waste of resources, even the most basic, such as oxygen.

Contributor's comments: A person who is considered to have very little to contribute to the world: "If you ask me, federal politicians are a bunch of oxygen thieves."

Contributor's comments: [Adelaide informant] a useless person, criminal, idiot. "Some oxygen thief has dumped his rubbish in the national park."

Contributor's comments: I first heard this at an underground mining operation and it seemed to indicate that a person was so useless that they were not even worth the oxygen they breathed. This came up in a safety meeting that involved the use of the self rescuer rebreathing unit and the fresh air bases underground. " To extend the duration of the air in the base, throw out the oxygen thieves".