Phrases & SayingsCrime, prison and the underworld
chew and spew
Prison stew.
In a sentence
The men nicknamed the evening stew chew and spew.
Where it came from
Rhyming slang built on stew, with deliberately unappetising imagery. The Parramatta glossary records chew and spew as prisoners’ slang for stew.
- First recorded
- 1972
- Initial era
- 1950–1999
- Where used
- Parramatta Jail, NSW
- Use today
- Historical Parramatta Jail usage; later/current currency not established