British and Australian slang for a backward step or move; informal and familiar.
From 'back' (Old English) with the informal diminutive suffix '-y'. Emerged in Australian and British English in the 20th century as casual slang.
Australian and British slang is full of '-y' diminutives ('backy,' 'arvo,' 'postie') that make language feel warmer and more intimate—it's linguistic friendliness, turning formal words into the language of mates.
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