Meaning
In Australian slang, cark it means to die, break down, stop working, or fail. The subject can be a person, animal, machine, vehicle, device, or other thing whose life or operation has ended.
How it is used
The Australian National Dictionary Centre defines cark as to die, break down, or fail, notes the spelling variant kark, and says the expression often takes the form cark it. Collins independently labels the break down or die sense Australian slang. In everyday speech, mechanical and device contexts can make cark it roughly equivalent to conk out or die; when used of a person or animal, the same wording refers to literal death and therefore carries a much sharper social tone.
Examples
- “The old mower finally carked it halfway through the lawn.”
- “My phone carked it just before I could save the number.”
- “They thought the engine had carked it for good.”
Pronunciation
/ˈkɑːk ɪt/ · KARK it
Tone and register
Casual and sometimes humorous for machines, vehicles, appliances, or devices. When applied to a person or animal it can sound blunt, irreverent, dismissive, or darkly humorous rather than respectful.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can safely recognize cark it as stop working or die, but should be cautious about using it for a person's death, especially in serious, recent, or bereavement contexts. For equipment, the phrase is much less socially sensitive. Context determines whether the subject has literally died or simply failed mechanically.
Cultural context
Cark it is a compact example of Australian slang crossing the boundary between mechanical failure and death. The Australian National Dictionary Centre places the modern sense in the 1970s and connects it probably with an older Australian cark meaning the caw of a crow. Maperla keeps that etymology at the source's own level of probability rather than presenting the crow connection as certain fact.
Origin
The Australian National Dictionary Centre records cark in the die, break down, or fail sense from the 1970s and says it is probably a figurative development from an earlier Australian cark for the caw of a crow. Collins independently gives a possible crow-cry origin. The connection is therefore plausible rather than certain.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.