noun afternoon. From the first syllable of 'afternoon' (with voicing of the 'f') and-o suffix. Extremely common colloquially, usually in the phrase 'this arvo', giving rise to the common reanalysis 'the sarvo'. Other forms, rare in print, are 'afto', the simple 'arve' and also 'aftie' and 'arvie' AUSTRALIA, 1927