A strap or rope tied around the trouser leg below the knee, originally worn by Australian farmworkers to keep pants from getting caught in undergrowth.
From Australian English, likely combining 'bow' (to bend or tie) with 'yang' (possibly from a native Australian or colonial term). It emerged in the 1800s as practical workwear terminology in rural Australia.
This quirky word is living proof of how different cultures develop unique solutions to local problems—Australian outback workers invented this style because their wide, baggy work trousers would catch on scrubby plants while herding livestock!
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