An Australian to English Glossary
Understanding Spare Us Yet
The Australian language, also known as Strine or Strayan, can be difficult for native English speakers to learn. While I’ve largely avoided writing in Strine, except in a few pieces of dialogue, there are still words and phrases in the book that may require translation. What follows is a short glossary intended to help overseas readers of Spare Us Yet & Other Stories. (Available here)
If, in your reading, you come across any Strayanisms not covered here, let me know.
(The word Strine was coined by a man named Afferbeck Lauder (alphabetical order) after a famous incident when Charles Dickens’ great-grand-daughter Monty signed one of her books at an Australian event. The woman who handed Monty her copy of the book asked the price. Monty duly signed the book, addressed to “Emma Chisit”.)
Lions Over the Bridge:
sundowner (n): 19th and early 20th century term for a seasonal agricultural worker who would deliberately arrive at a station just before sundown and therefore be guaranteed an evening meal without working.
bantz (v): teasing banter.
beaut (a): beautiful
doing a Bradbury: see Stephen Bradbury’s gold medal race at the 2004 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Someone who wins because everyone in front of them fell over.
Twiggy stick (n): Slim-Jim
Salvo’s (n): Salvation Army
the dole (n): welfare
Shrove Tuesday:
Texta (n): children’s drawing marker
Furphy (n): a tall story
Three Visions of the Bean-Nighe:
McCubbin: Frederick McCubbin (1855-1917), Australian painter famous for his triptych The Pioneer.
Big W: Wal-mart-like chain store.
quoll (n): carnivorous marsupial about the size of a house cat.
bunyip (n): probably mythical carnivorous creature inhabiting Australian swamps.
How Can We Know The Way:
Carlton Blues: One of the original teams of the Victorian Football League, now the Australian Football League (AFL).
Magic Pudding: a magical dish, somewhat like a chicken pot pie, that regenerates after being eaten. From the children’s book of the same name.
Spare Us Yet:
Maroons: nickname of the Queensland State Rugby team.
Farewell to the Well-Known Old Bailey:
Procoptodon: extinct kangaroo that could grow up to six and a half feet tall.
Gallipoli: site of first major battle of the First World War to involve Australian troops.
Eureka (flag) (n): flag featuring southern cross first used at a miner’s rebellion in Victoria. Used in many different political contexts as a symbol of Australian patriotism.
Circular Quay: main ferry and cruise ship terminal in Sydney.
Cloncurry: outback town in far-western Queensland.
Lynbrook:
Overland: One of Australia’s oldest literary magazines, strongly associated with the Communist left.
Tasmanian MLC: Member of Legislative Council, equivalent to a State Senate in the USA.
jump-jack (n): common stinging-ant with blue body and orange pincers. Can jump up to four inches off the ground.
Compline:
wuckers (n): (slang) used in place of ‘worries’ in the phrase ‘no worries’
Straya: Australia