rort

Definition

A scam or fraud, especially involving the misappropriation of public money or resources.

Etymology

Probably a back-formation from rorty (“boisterous or rowdy, saucy, dissipated, or risqué”). Originally slang but now in common usage.

Example Sentences

• "2008, Australian House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), page 4067, Not all of the projects were bad or rorts; the majority were no doubt valuable to their communities."
• "It′s one of the great rorts in Australia that for overstaying your welcome (even by five minutes) in a space that may cost only a few dollars to park in, local councils are prepared to fine you anywhere from $50 to $120."
• "The rort was that South Australia and Western Australia, who controlled their grounds, were allowed to double-dip. In Perth, for instance, the WACA sold season tickets, which they marketed in the form of memberships, to everything at the ground, including football. They had a huge membership and were rolling in money, but because they′d sold their tickets in memberships, they declared a loss on the cricket Test match. At the end of the season, though, they′d get the same twofourteenths^([sic]) of Pool Two as Queensland."