Australian National Dictionary Centre
Research School of Humanities
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Australian National Dictionary Centre
Research School of Humanities
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The Australian National Dictionary: Additions and Corrections, by James Lambert.Additions to the Australian Lexicographical RecordIn terms of Australian lexicography there have only
been a few works on historical principles. The first of these was Morris' Austral
English of 1898 –
much of which was incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary and its supplements, which for many
years was the primary source for historical lexical information regarding the
Australian idiom. Then came Wilkes' Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms in 1978 (and now into its fourth
edition). All of these were largely superseded by Ramson's Australian
National Dictionary in
1988. This is now the primary source, though it still needs to be supplemented
by the various editions of Wilkes, who draws his boundaries for what an
"Australianism" is with a different pen. In addition to these Gary
Simes' Dictionary of Australian Underworld Slang of 1993 provided numerous
predatings as well as well-researched entries on a number of terms hitherto
unrecognised as Australian in origin. During 2003-4 I was engaged upon writing the
Australian entries for the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and
Unconventional English (forthcoming 2005) for the publishers Routledge. This required 4000
entries with date of first occurrence and supporting citations. Only words that
were in use after 1945 were of interest; terms that had dropped out of usage
before that time were not included. In order to do this I embarked on a reading
program and amassed a citation collection of over 35000 records, upon which I
could base my entries. As would be expected I happened upon a number of odd
pieces of information that can be added to that which is represented in the
various historical works mentioned above. I was fortunate enough to "inherit"
a handwritten citation collection from Ted Hartley. In 1944 Hartley authored a
glossary of prison slang which was discovered amongst the papers of Kylie
Tennant by Gary Simes. This glossary was reproduced, along with another, in
Simes' Dictionary of Australian Underworld Slang (1993). However, Hartley had also
read widely in Australian literature and had his own citation collection based
on this reading. When Hartley passed away in 2001 this citation collection was
only one small item of a large collection of material that was to be sold off
by the executor of his will. It was offered to a book dealer named Peter
Tinslay who declined to take it on the grounds that he could not envisage any
commercial value for it. As luck would have it Peter was a personal friend of
mine and so was able to say that he knew of a person who might be interested in
taking the citation cards. My oath he did! In fact, as the executor explained
to me, since he hadn't been able to sell the collection, if I had not taken
them then they would have been consigned to the tip! The thought of all those
citations, collected by a true enthusiast, selected by a true blue Aussie slang
speaker, painstakingly handwritten and diligently maintained over a period of
years, ending up as landfill – well, it doesn't bear thinking about. The Hartley collection does have some drawbacks.
Firstly, Hartley's handwriting is chicken scratch of the highest order, and
deciphering it is a type of torture. My own hand is pretty poor, and far be it
from me to judge too harshly, but, it really has to be seen to be believed.
Secondly, Hartley did not include on his citation cards the year of the edition
he used. This means that the page numbers given are a bit iffy. That is, if you
happen to have the same edition, then all is okay, but if not, then the page
numbers most probably won't match up. I assume that Hartley had the necessary
information either written down somewhere, or that he still had the books
themselves, but alas, the information did not come down to me. This is of
course only a minor problem – anyone who really wants to track down one of
Hartley's citations can guesstimate for the edition they have, search through
different editions, or simply read the entire text. I have since passed the Hartley collection onto the
Australian National Dictionary Centre where it will be kept as a separate
collection. In some ways the Australian National Dictionary has become the central repository
of lexicographical quotations for Australianisms. No doubt the next edition
will incorporate all new findings revealed in Simes' work, and also those appearing
in the later editions of Wilkes. So much the better if all relevant information
is available in one reference work.
Aboriginal Act n. any of various legislative acts concerning
the control of the Aboriginal population by government. 1975 Xavier Herbert Poor Fellow My
Country 184 'You're well aware that no Aboriginal person is allowed to go
anywhere without the permission of a Protector. By transporting the boy without
that permission, you've committed an offence under the Aboriginal Act.' 1978 M.J. 'Chap' Burton Bush Pub (1983) iii. 24
[S]erving or permitting to be served a native Aboriginal, a person under the
Aboriginal Act, or a drunken person, or a person under the age of twenty-one,
all figured on a list of traps for the unwary publican. 1994 Herb Wharton Cattle Camp 183 Lotta them
black fellas they had there under the Aboriginal Act worked for nothing,
almost. Notes: Not in Baker, Wilkes, AND. Act, the n. the Aboriginal Act. 1963 Wal Watkins Race the Lazy River (1972) i. 17 'He
ought to be put under the Act, so he can't buy a drink.' 1994 Herb Wharton Cattle Camp 4 If an Aborigine
was placed under the Act, it meant that they were totally controlled by the
government's local agent. Notes: Not in Baker, Wilkes, AND. Anglo adj. of Anglo-Australian heritage. 1982 The Australian Children's
Folklore Newsletter #3 4/2 For a long time Anglo dominance in the
playground seems to have been the norm[.] 1983 Robert Drewe The Bodysurfers 52 [H]e was
regarded by the school's Latino and black drug and weaponry entrepreneurs as an
egregiously unhip Anglo novelty. 1985 Alma Aldrette in Joseph's Coat 34 Mrs
Castellanos thought that these Anglo girls were young and cheap. 1992 Sydney Star Observer 21 Feb 7 Material
in the campaign includes photographs of a muscle man with a drag queen on a
motorbike, an Anglo leatherman carrying a young Asian man[.] 1993 Sun-Herald 19 Sep 119 But my
family moved to an Anglo suburb when I was 10. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. Anglo n. a person of Anglo-Australian heritage.
Hence, the English language. 1982 Gerald Sweeney Invasion 139 No one seemed
to notice the bulk exodus of Australian Anglos. ibid., 115 'To this day, they actually
think we give a damn about them. Because they're white and speak Anglo. 1985 Alma Aldrette in Joseph's Coat 21 To be equal to
or better than the Anglos. 1987 Sydney Morning Herald 28 Aug 1 At her
children's school, the Greek boys congregated in opposition to the so-called
'Anglos'. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. arse n. a fool; a 'dickhead'. 1944 Lawson Glassop We Were The Rats
III.
xl. 231 'You mean you'll act the silly arse and go out and get yourself
killed?' 1988 Clive Galea Slipper xxi. 145 'I've
fallen for the oldest worn-out trick in the book and if it hadn't been for
Greek Tommy I'd have gone on making a complete arse of myself,' he realised, as
he tossed and turned. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. ash v.t. to rid (a cigar or cigarette) of ash. Also, v.i., to drop cigar or
cigarette ash (onto something). 1930 Lennie Lower Here's Luck viii. 38 'Gee! I
remember once,' she said, ashing her cigarette on my coat-sleeve, 'he blew up a
balloon and sat on it.' 1935 Frederick J. Thwaites The
Melody Lingers xvii 256 Dale was silent for a moment, then he ashed his cigarette with
a hand that trembled slightly. 1953 [C.A. Wright] Caddie: A Sydney
Barmaid (1966) x. 43 He walked slowly over to the grate and ashed his
cigarette. 1961 Kenneth Cook Wake in Fright ii. 52 He realized
that he was standing staring at her and he sat down quickly, making a business
of ashing his cigarette. 1969 Frank Moorhouse Futility and
other animals 19 I carefully ashed my cigarette on the bed post, wondering what to
say. 1978 C.J. Koch The Year Of Living
Dangerously ii. 35 Hamilton ashed his cigar, and studied the end of it for some
moments without speaking. 1989 'Dame Edna Everage'
My Gorgeous Life 98 'Roy, get our coronation ashtray for Leslie
prithee, or he'll be ashing all over the carpet.' 1990 Ignatius Jones True Hip 127 Women whose
clothes are obviously Works of Art - Heaven help you if you laugh hysterically
when someone ashes on them and they catch fire. 1996 Sponge Magazine (Sydney) [32]/2
She wanted a cigarette just so she could ash on the deodorant. 2003 The Chaser (Sydney) Nov 3/4
It has now been revealed Melbourne was only awarded the Games after the
Australian representative ashed his cigar in the eight hour of the otherwise
silent Bidding Auction. Notes: Not in Baker, Wilkes, AND. This seems a strange word to be an
Australianism since it is not slang, and the practice itself is in no way
unique, nevertheless, it appears that this verbal use is not present in other
Englishes. the Ashes n. the trophy played for by Australian and
England in test cricket. 1882 Bulletin 9 Dec 13 [Ivo
Bligh] hoped before concluding their tour, to be able to regain the revered
ashes of English cricket which had been laid on the shelf in England by the
Australian Eleven. Notes: Predating AND 1883. Aussie n. a pizza with bacon (or ham) and eggs. 1992 Casa Cordobes Pizzeria menu (Sydney) aussie ..... $12.90 $15.90 $18.90 (Bacon
and Egg). 2004 Eat-A-Pizza menu (Darwin) aussie: Onion, Bacon & Egg. 2004 La Venezia Pizza menu (Kingston) aussi: [sic] bacon, eggs, onion, tomato & cheese. 2004 Mojo's Weird Pizza menu (Melbourne) aussie: Ham & Egg. 2004 Pedro's Pit menu (Melbourne) aussie: tomato, cheese, ham, bacon &
egg. 2004 John's Pizza menu (Coober Pedy, SA)
aussie: Tomato, cheese, ham, egg,
bacon. Notes: Although a standard item of pizzeria cuisine throughout the
entire country, this little gem seems to have entirely escaped the notice of
lexicographers. Australian n. a pizza with bacon (or ham) and eggs. 1992 Cyclopes Pizza menu(Sydney) australian ..... $8.50 $11.00 $13.70
Tomato, Cheese, Ham, Egg, Onions. 1992 Dulwich Hill Pizza menu (Sydney) australian: Ham, Onion, Egg, Double
Cheese. 2004 Normanville Fish Shop &
Pizza menu (SA) australian: Ham,
Bacon & Cheese. Notes: See above. Australiana n. a pizza with bacon (or ham) and eggs. 1992 Torino Pizzeria menu (Sydney) australiana: Bacon, Egg, $8.60 $9.40 $12.00. 1992 Benito Pizza menu (Sydney) 5 Australiana:
Bacon, Onion, Egg. 2004 Crows Nest Pizzeria, Kebabs
& Pasta menu (Sydney) australiana: Ham, onion and
eggs. 2004 Pizzeria Rio menu (Sydney) Australiana: Ham,
bacon, onion & egg. Notes: Mock-Italian; see above. Australianese n. Australian English or slanguage. 1978 Patsy Adam-Smith The ANZACS x. 102 Anzac
burial parties greeted the enemy with odds and ends of Arabic phrases, and with
Australianese that must have been incomprehensible to them. Notes: Postdating AND 1965. babbling brook n. a cook. 1905 Duke Tritton in John Meredith Learn
To Talk Old Jack Lang 15 No doubt about it, my Mary is a bottling babbling
brook. Notes: Predating AND 1913. back of beyond n. remote area. 1879 Catherine Helen Spence Handfasted V. vii. 320 'No but I mean the finding out of relatives and friends at
what Papa would call "the back of beyond". That was quite a new experience.' Notes: Predating AND 1888. bag of fruit n. rhyming slang for 'suit'. 1924 Gilbert H. Lawson A Dictionary
of Australian Words and Terms 11 bag
of fruit – A suit. 1965 John O'Grady Aussie English 13 bag of fruit. A suit. An abomination
which, with a tie, is still worn in Australia, even in summer. But the further
north you go, the fewer will you see. And right up 'the top end', it would be
difficult to find a man who owns one. 1984 'Ken Oathe' The Real Australian
Bloke's Guide To Survival 19 For weddings, christenings and funerals he's got
the maroon bag of fruit and the shiny, copper-coloured Raoul Merton lace-ups 1991 Rex Mossop The Moose That
Roared xi. 137 Imagine the problems he presented to the French who were trying
to make some sense of 'tip the bucket', 'bag of fruit' and 'tit for tat'. 1994 Rex Hunt Tall Tales - and True 94 'I had to wear
this bag of fruit to get into the member's,' I told them. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. bagman n. a bookmaker. 1953 T.A.G. Hungerford Riverslake vi. 98 'If I meet
any bagmen on the way, I'll themm 'em where to come.' 1956 Vince Kelly The Bogeyman xiv. 182 They had
worked up a good connection with punters, who were enticed by the offer
generally of a point above the odds being shouted in the ring by the registered
bagmen. 1966 James Holledge The Great
Australian Gamble xiv. 140 At the end of the day Mr. Wilson, who had
kept betting and doubling up, had accumulated liabilities of £2000 with the
bagman. 1981 Gerald Sweeney The Plunge xiii. 173 'They
will want specimen original signatures of the bagmen.' 1995 Crackers Keenan Australia's
Funniest Racing Yarns (2003) xvii. 113 One thing about the bagmen, they'll
always tell you when they've lost. Notes: Not in AND – except as bracketed citation 1972. The AND does
record the other meaning of "bookmaker's clerk". bags v.t. to reserve by making the first claim. [1924 Mary Grant Bruce Billabong's
Daughter ii. 45 'Jim wanted to tell you, but I said it wasn't fair,' said Wally
laughing. 'It's quite enough for you two to own him, so I bagged telling the
story.'] 1944 Lawson Glassop We Were The Rats
III.
xxxv. 198 'To show you I trust them I'll go first.' 'No, you won't,' said Eddie
quickly. 'I bags first.' 1965 Randolph Stow The
Merry-Go-Round in the Sea vi. 76 'I bags going in the transport,' he shouted,
listening still to the sea, distantly praying. 1974 Phillip Adams The Unspeakable
Adams 53 Bags: Not to be confused with school bag; a method of staking a claim
as in 'I bags that'. 1976 David Ireland The Glass Canoe 103 'Bag's first
shot.' 1981 Weekend Australian 7-8 Mar Magazine
4 Someone must tell him the only thing wrong with Gunston's Australia is
Gunston. Bags you do it. 1998 Phillip Gwynne Deadly Unna? xv. 114 'Didn't
think you was coming,' said Dumby. 'But I bagsed you this chair just in case.' 2003 Sydney Morning Herald 15 Mar Good
Weekend 13/2 In our house, whoever got a chair first could keep it for the whole
night provided they said 'I bags this' if they went to the toilet or answered
the door. Notes: Not in Baker, Wilkes, AND. bar, it's all over ~ the shouting phr. it is over for all
practical purposes. 1951 Dal Stivens Jimmy Brockett 76 Just as I
thought, it was all over bar the shouting. 1953 Nevil Shute In the Wet 321 'Iorwerth
Jones' Government has resigned,' she said, 'or it's resigning now. It's all
over bar the shouting.' 1969 Alexander Buzo Norm and Ahmed (1973) 12 'I
always played fair, but if they ever mucked me about, biff! Send for the
cleaners. All over bar the shouting.' 1971 Frank Hardy The Outcasts of
Foolgarah xii. 166 It was all over bar the shouting, but they wrangled on until
late afternoon. 1973 Kit Denton The Breaker 246 'Well, it's
all over bar the shouting, you fellows. What are you going to do when they've
apologized and let you out?' 1975 Xavier Herbert Poor Fellow My
Country 1253 'Looks as if it's all over bar the shouting.' Notes: Not in Baker, Wilkes, AND. beaut adv. excellently, splendidly. 1969 Geoff Wyatt Saltwater Saints v. 105 She danced
real beaut, as Danny said, and had a certain flair for challenging looks, which
are there to be challenged. 1981 Paul Radley Jack Rivers and Me 162 'You sang
beaut tonight, Muriel. Better'n Maureen.' 1982 Nicholas Hasluck The Hand That
Feeds You 156 'Picture frames burn beaut', he said. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. beaut int. excellent! [1953 Nourma Handford Carcoola
Holiday ix. 146 'That's gidgee, not bad. I must get you some ring gidgee. I
know a bloke in town who can make anything out of it. Beaut. You'll like it.'] 1971 Frank Hardy The Outcasts of
Foolgarah 89 'Beaut, Florrie, you always were handy with the pen. Who'll we send
it to?' 1985 Barry Dickins What the Dickins 140 You check the
lamb; done to a turn. Cut off a bit. Beaut, beaut. It's ready now. 1991 Tim Winton Cloudstreet 287 Rose felt her
cheeks glowing. Beaut! Notes: The AND notes that beaut can be used as an exclamation, but
its earliest citation is from 1981. billy n. a bong for smoking marijuana. 1994 Ad News 28 Jan 19 Billy -
Vessel for marijuana consumption. 1996 Underground Surf Aut 14 Most
surfers don't choose these destructive options: in fact, we're a pretty mellow
crew who rarely indulge in anything more than the occasional beer or billy. 1996 Revolver (Sydney) 12 Nov
21/1 Where's the remote, pass me the billy. Notes: A new application of this classic Australianism. black guts n. the stomach. 1978 Robbie Cass High Jinks Down
Under 124 I better shoot through quick. Those creeps might get a few more
beers into their black guts and decide to come back for another go. 1979 Derek Maitland Breaking Out 304 'Cheers! "Get
it into your black guts", as my father used to say when he partook of alcoholic
beverages.' 1986 Frank Hardy Hardy's People 86 He pulled two
tinnies out of his Esky, opened them and gave me one. 'Get that into your black
guts,' he demanded. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. I suspect that this is probably quite a bit
older, possibly dating back to the 1950s. black stump n. remote area. 1953 Nourma Handford Carcoola Holiday 207 'I reckon a
boss gets his reputation in depression times and every crow and every water
carrier this side of the Black Stump knows old McCairn's not a bad bloke.' Notes: Predating AND 1957. blowey n. a blowfly. 1902 Barbara Baynton Bush Studies 78 'No blowey
carn't get in there, eh?' the dog looked at the meat uncritically, but
critically noted the resting place of two disturbed 'bloweys'. Notes: Predating AND 1916. blue v.i. to fight. 1962 Criena Rohan The Delinquents 85 'Shit! you're a
mess, kid,' she said. 'You can go. I'll give you that; but you have to spot too
much weight. You're too titchy to blue on.' Notes: Predating AND 1969. blue v.t. to squander. 1874 Marcus Clarke His Natural Life 50 'Vater!' cried
the little cockney. 'Give us a drop o' vater, for mercy's sake. I haven't
moist'ned my chaffer this blessed day.' 'Half a gallon a day, bo', and no
more,' says a sailor next him. 'Yes, what have yer done with yer half-gallon,
eh?' asked the Crow derisively. 'Someone stole it,' said the sufferer. 'He's
been an' blued it,' squealed someone. 'Been an' blued it to buy a Sunday veskit
with! Oh, ain't he a vicked young man?' Notes: Predating AND 1881. bolt n. an escape, a flight. 1812 James Hardy Vaux glossary: A sudden
escape of one or more prisoners from a place of confinement is termed a
bolt. Notes: Predating AND 1838. boggabri n. any of various plants. 1907 Barbara Baynton Human Toll (in The
Portable Barbara Baynton) xiv. 273 'She wants me t' go 'untin' fer
boggabri down on ther billabongs,' she complained to Ursula. Notes: Interdating AND 1893 <> 1959. Bondi cigar n. a piece of human excrement floating in
the water. 1996 Tracks (Sydney) Jun 35/1
Out in the surf, discretely sprinkle a handful of Imitation Turd Pellets around
the take-off and watch the reaction of your fellow surfers as the pellets
expand into realistic-looking Bondi cigars! 1997 Sydney Morning Herald 8 Nov Good Weekend
31 Australians outside the brown zone of the Bondi cigar seem remarkably
sanguine about the continued pumping of sewage and domestic waste water into
our seaways. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. bonza noun a variety of apple. 1999 Sun-Herald 28 Feb Tempo 20 She'll be apples!
[heading] ...Bonza: Good eating, crisp, red apple. Harvested April-May. 2001 Sun-Herald 21 Jan Tempo 12 There are around 7,000 different
types of apples grown around the globe and in Australia the most popular
varieties are red delicious, jonathan, braeburn, bonza, pink lady, golden
delicious, fuji, gala and granny smith. 2004 www.batlowapples.com.au/barrel/body.asp The Bonza apple originated in
Batlow and was cultivated by chance over 25 years ago . The Bonza variety has a
green/cream background colour with a 50-60% red blush. The variety is
characterised by a very white firm flesh with a sweet flavour, and is
particularly good for cutting and in salads as it tends to keep its colour
after being cut. Bonzas are available from early March through to early
September. Notes:
Not in Wilkes, AND. boofhead n. a person with an oversized head; hence, a
fool, idiot, dimwit. 1941 Baker Notes: Predating AND which quotes Baker 1945. A number of examples of
this nature – where a term is recorded earliest in Baker, but it appears in an
earlier edition of Baker – are recorded in this paper, and some have been noted
by Simes. boofheaded adj. fat-headed; dimwitted. 1942 Lennie Lower Lennie Lower's
Annual: A Side Splitter 9 I could have thought of three or four snappy
comebacks to a boof headed remark like that. Notes: Predating AND 1965. booze hound n. a drunkard. 1905 Duke Tritton in John Meredith Learn
To Talk Old Jack Lang 14 I can go into the rubbity dub and have a
lemonade, breasting the near and far with booze hounds drinking Tom Thumb,
young and frisky, oh my dear, or Huckleberry Finn[.] Notes: Predating earliest US usage in Lighter 1911. boss n. the owner or man in charge of a large rural property 1895 A.B. Paterson in Collected
Verse 42 'We will show the boss how a shear blade shines / When we reach those
ewes,' said the two Devines. 1902 A.B. Paterson Rio Grande and
Other Verses 84 But, Boss, you'd better not fight with me – it wouldn't be fair nor
right. 1902 Barbara Baynton Bush Studies 105 'Boss in,
Lizer?' 1905 in Stewart and Keesing Old Bush
Songs 181 The boss is expected home by the next mail / And the missus, confound
her and dang her, / Of course with her husband is sure to prevail; / What woman
could not in her anger? 1925 Erle Cox Out of the Silence 253 'So I pipes up
and asks if the boss is at 'ome.' 1936 John C. Downie Galloping Hoofs vii. 145 Mildred
and Bill were going with the Boss and Missus by car[.] 1938 Xavier Herbert Capricornia 149 When Morris
Hughes came in with the news he merely said, 'Big fella war him finis, Boss.
Missus him say you come longa house for makim friend.' 1947 Ion L. Idriess Over the Range i. 5 Above all,
she must not tell the boss of any little irregularity she may see. 1959 Arthur Upfield Bony and the
Mouse (1961) vi. 50 'Look, the boss is all right.' 1962 Joan Lindsay Time Without
Clocks (1979) 61 The man who came to fix the tank or to see the Boss about the
sawbench or the dog tax ended up with tea at the large wooden table. 1965 Frank Dalby Davidson Wells of
Beersheba 179 Mrs Vachell came to the door. 'G'day, missus,' said Tom,
friendlily. 'Where's the boss?' It was the time-honoured salutation and
question. 1978 M.J. 'Chap' Burton Bush Pub (1983) xi. 104
'The boss came in about six o'clock and seemed quite happy for me to stay for a
meal.' 1982 Les A. Murray The Vernacular
Republic 75 'The boss at home, Missus?' Notes: Not recorded in Baker, Wilkes, AND. Country properties are
generally run by the "missus", who has control of the homestead, and the
"boss", who has control of everything else. I believe it to be a particularly
Australian application of both of these words. bowlo n. a bowling club. 1986 Tracks (Sydney) Feb 3/4
Next, it's off to the local, pub or bowlo[.] 2004 LGnet - Local Government
Network website (www.lgnet.com.au) Some people reckon the Queen shouldn't run
the country because they never see her down at the Beresfield Bowling Club. But
if the Queen lived in Australia, she would spent every night down at the Bero
Bowlo and she would win heaps of meat trays. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. bowyang n. used as a symbol for manual labour. 1944 Sunday Telegraph 13 Feb 4 Mr
Taylor said yesterday that the Labor Party had progressed to the stage where
brains, and not bowyangs, should be regarded as the badge of the workers'
representatives. Notes: Predating AND 1951. breast v.t. to approach (a bar). 1905 Duke Tritton in John Meredith Learn
To Talk Old Jack Lang 15 I can go into the rubbity dub and have a
lemonade, breasting the near and far with booze hounds drinking Tom Thumb,
young and frisky, oh my dear, or Huckleberry Finn[.] Notes: Predating AND 1909. Brisso n. Brisbane, Qld; a person from Brisbane.
Also, Briso, Brizzo. 1972 John O'Grady It's Your Shout,
Mate! vi. 69 'Was you in Brizzo when that Melbourne mob took it over?' 1984 Sandra Jobson Blokes 66 'G'day there,
Briso Wankas!' 1985 Phil Jarratt Surfing Dictionary 12 Brizzoes are
actively discouraged from leaving the city limits on weekends by such measures
as slashing the tyres of their panel vans. 1985 Tracks (Sydney) Oct 5
Firstly, to mother fucker fraud fighter from Brisso (what a dump)[.] 1987 Tracks (Sydney) Dec 5/1
Well, the Sunshine and Gold Coasts have their 'Brisoes', Sydney has their
'Westies'. 1996 Underground Surf Aut 20/3 Call your
macho festival 'Brissos suck more piss than Bondi backpackers' and get XXXX to
sponsor the whole bash. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. When referring to a person this is a common
derogatory term used by Sunshine and Gold Coast residents who resent
Brisbanites visiting their local areas. Brissy n. Brisbane. 1960 J.E. Macdonnell Don't Gimme the
Ships v. 75 'Did I ever tell yer,' Splinter asked, 'about that night in
Brissy when me an' the Baron crashed the wardroom party...?' 1966 Sidney J. Baker The Australian
Language (2nd ed.) iv. 90 Thus, although Brissie is the common spelling of the hypocorism for
Brisbane it is always pronounced as though the spelling were Brizzie. 1974 Thea Astley A Kindness Cup 78 'She's made me
a grand-dad three times over. In Brissy now, happily married and all.' 1990 Sam Watson The Kadaitcha Sung 16 'All we do know
is that old Ed just keeps telling the doctors in Brissie that he's got a burn
that won't go away.' 1996 Slam Apr 26 Of course,
Brissy's not everyone's cup of tea. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. brown n. a brown snake. 1978 M.J. 'Chap' Burton Bush Pub x. 88 'Besides you
need some plonk about the place, especially in the summer when them tigers and
browns are about.' 1981 Jack Bennett Gallipoli iii. 65 'Tigers,
browns, death adders,' said Archy[.] 2004 The Age (Melbourne) 19 Aug
Green Guide 3/4 I have pulled really great hormone growth gear from a deadly
brown I have tethered to the Hills Hoist in the backyard. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. The AND covers the elliptical usage of tiger = tiger snake
(see tiger below), but not the brown. bungy adj. in ill health. 1902 Barbara Baynton Bush Studies 57 She'd have
bungy eyes, if she didn't. If she was asleep, why did she not close them? 1907 Barbara Baynton Human Toll (in The
Portable Barbara Baynton) xiv. 265 'Missus, if you was t' cut 'ome like
blazes, and clap a bit er raw meat on your eyes, they woulden' go black nur
bungy.' Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND – but is it just a Bayntonism? burn n. a cigarette. 1960 J.E. Macdonnell Don't Gimme the
Ships ix. 132 'Hiya, cobber. Have a burn?' Windy shook his head at the
proffered packet. Notes: Predating US usage in Lighter 1971. bush woman n. a woman who lives in the bush; a woman
accustomed to the harsh life of the bush. 1898 Edward Dyson Below And On Top 'The Whim Boy'
[Project Gutenberg] This meant a walk back of eleven miles 'by moonlight
alone,' but Jem was superior to all feminine weaknesses, and too thorough a
bush-woman to let a trifle like that trouble her. 1901 Henry Lawson Joe Wilson and His
Mates 'Water Them Geraniums' 69 Most bush-women get the nagging habit. 1917 Barbara Baynton Trooper Jim
Tasman (in The Portable Barbara Baynton) 92 I saw all those silent bush
women. Early pioneers, who had left father and mother, and sister and brother
and friends, to face the great unknown as mate to their man[.] 1936 John C. Downie Galloping Hoofs 124 Many bush
women are left at the little boundary camps, hundreds of miles from their
nearest neighbour, while their menfolk are away for weeks or even months, on
end, working cattle or prospecting for gold. 1959 Mary Durack Kings in Grass
Castles xii. 123 Grandmother considered herself lucky to have had a white woman
with her at a time when many bush women had no help at all. 1975 Xavier Herbert Poor Fellow My
Country 495 'I presume you meant he wants just a bush-woman for a wife. They do
say, you know, that the trouble between him and his ex-wife was that she wanted
to be the lady, and he wouldn't be in it.' 1983 Rocky Marshall in New Axe
Handle 79 Grandmother was reared in the bush under primitive pioneering
conditions. Dad chided that she had cut her teeth on stirrup leather. She was a
top rate horse handler and bushwoman. Notes: Not in Wilkes, AND. but adv though. 1898 Edward Dyson 'A Visit To Scrubby Gully' in Below and On Top
[H]e worked on steadily, uncomplainingly, till the boy with the unique freckles
came hurrying in with the intelligence that the old horse was 'havin' a fit'r
somethin'.' Jeans did not swear. He said 'Is he but?' and put aside his
harness, and went out, like a man for whom life has no surprises. Notes: AND first two citations are 1853 then 1938 – which is a big gap,
over 80 years. However there is some dubiety about the 1853 cite since it is
unquestionably ambiguous. The text runs "The hero of (not a hundred fights, but)
Whitechapel..." which can obviously be read two ways. This Dyson citation from
1898 is unambiguous, plugs the gap a bit, and lends some support to the 1853. cactus, in the phr. in a bad way. 1941 Baker Notes: Predating AND (citing Baker 1943). See note at boofhead. Calcutta sweep(s) n. a type of sweepstakes run on
horseraces. See first citation for explanation. 1896 Nat Gould Town and Bush xiv. 223 Calcutta
sweeps are often drawn on the race, at the principle hotel in town, the night
before the event is run. The names of the horses are drawn by the chairman,
each subscriber having put in a pound share. The horses are then put up for
auction. Suppose a man draws Daylight; he has paid a pound into the sweep; if
Daylight is favourite for the race, perhaps he will be run up to ten pounds
more before he can buy his horse in, or he may let it go if he so desires. If
Daylight is a rank outsider, the drawer may feel inclined to sell at any price
in order to get rid of it. 1933 Samuel Griffiths A Rolling
Stone on the Turf vii. 113 At that time most of the betting on races
was done through the Calcutta sweeps held over-night on all of the events to be
decided next day. These sweeps each ran into thousands of rupees, and the
owners naturally tried to buy their horses at the best possible price. ibid. xii. 199 If you should receive a
circular relating to a 'Calcutta sweep' on the Viceroy's Cup or English Derby,
addressed from 'Chandernagore, India', the best thing you can do with it is to
promptly consign it to the waste-paper basket. 1933 Raymond Spargo Betting systems
Analysed 56 Who among us – even the greatest antagonist of gambling – could
resist the first prize ticket in "a certain Tasmanian consultation,"
the Golden Casket, State lotteries or the colossal Calcutta sweep? 1977 Hugh Buggy The Real John Wren 147 About this
time, by a decision of justice Hood, Calcutta sweeps were made illegal in
Melbourne, while Police Inspector Laurence Gleeson startled the righteous by
declaring that the big racecourses were infinitely worse in fostering gambling
than the pony courses. 1981 Murray Pioneer 25 June 6 Mr.
Pfeiffer said other major projects included raising $765 from a Golf Day; $830
from a Calcutta Sweep and the erection of SA, Victorian and NSW border signs on
the river bank. 1982 Joe Andersen Winners Can Laugh viii. 115 The
Bellbird Gold Cup was run in two divisions and it was decided to run two
Calcutta Sweeps on them. 1995 Crackers Keenan Australia's Funniest
Racing Yarns (2003) xvi. 102 So I went back up the bush but my step-uncle had
organised a Calcutta on Cup Eve[.] Notes: Not in Baker, Wilkes, AND. As the citations from Samuel Griffiths
show, this practice originated in India during the British occupation, but
according to Kingsley Bolton's Accent database, which has 25 million words of
the Times of India, the term is no longer used there. Commonly shortened
to Calcutta. captain n. the person shouting drinks. 1953 Sidney J. Baker Australia Speaks 137 captain, the leader of a
company of drinkers, especially one who assumes the privilege of paying for
others' drinks. Notes: Predating AND 1961. See note at boofhead. carol v.i. of the Australian magpie, to make its characteristic
call. Hence, the verbal noun, carolling. 1932 Ion L. Idriess Flynn of the
Inland vii. 55 [A] magpie carolled joyously: crickets were 1933 G.B. Lancaster Pageant I. vii. 120
Coming home through a dewy morning of bush scents and magpie carolling Mab had
been stimulated into a decision. 1954 Judah Waten The Unbending 22 Birds called
and magpies carolled and quarrelled. 1955 Alan Marshall I Can Jump
Puddles v. 47 Sometimes it raised its head and bellowed hoarsely, and carolling
magpies ceased their song and flew hurriedly away. 1960 Sutton Woodfield A for Artemis xvii. 168 Only the
big river gum had birds in its hair; the carolling magpies who love the wind
and high weather. 1965 Frank Dalby Davison The Wells
of Beersheba 229 A magpie carolling from the top of a dead gumtree. 1975 Xavier Herbert Poor Fellow My
Country 977 The sound of the water was like laughter, in which was faintly
mingled music, which was the carolling of butcher-birds somewhere back amidst
the limestone masses. 1977 Helen Garner Monkey Grip 245 The
absent-minded carolling of magpies dropped out of the pine trees half a mile
away. 1983 in New Axe Handle 43 From the lofty branches of a gum tree a pair of magpies carolled their greeting. | ||||||||||||
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