West Australian Bush Poets from the Past

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BUSH POETRY FROM THE PAST
UNFAMILIAR WORDS & PHRASES
This page contains an alphabetical list of words and phrases that appear in poems of a past era and which are rarely found in today's conversation. It is is being constructed gradually as time goes on and more poems are added to these "Past Poets" pages. If you come across any unfamiliar words or phrases, please contact the webmaster who will attempt to find out just what they meant. If you know of any you think should be here, or can answer any of those words shown with ? please also inform the webmaster.

A Abo	Aboriginal person (now considered derogatory)
B Billet Blow Bluey Bonzer, Bonza Boodle Breakaway (country) Brum Bully Beef (also Tinned Dog) Bunce Bung	Job or position Skite, Boast Swag , Bedroll Outstandingly Good Money small cliff Penny Corned Beef (in a tin) - WW1 origin Salary, also unneeded or excess goods "Dryblower's" term for a publican
C Chink Clyner Cornstalks, Cornstalkers costeen Croweaters Crown Cut out (the shed cut out)	Person of Chinese origin (now considered derogatory) Young woman People born in New South Wales ???? (a mining term of some sort) South Australians A silver coin of value 5 shillings When all the shearing is finished
D Damper Dead Marine Deener Deuced Dolly, Dolly pot Donah Dough, Dosh Dryblower Duff Dungarees	A simple form of bread, generally cooked in the coals or in a camp oven Empty beer bottle Silver Coin =1 shilling (12 pence) to shear 200 sheep in a day container for crushing small quantities of gold bearing ore Sweetheart, Girlfriend money Machine for extracting gold from crushed ore - A person who operates such a machine rustle, steal livestock Workmans' trousers made from a fabric similar to Denim (similar to Jeans)
E
F
G Gidgee Gin Groper Guinea	a small tree Aboriginal woman (now considered to be a derogatory term) See "Sandgroper" 21 Shillings (the one shilling was often the salesman's commission)
Hughey	God (as in a meteorological sense)
I
J Jackaroo Jim John Hop Jumbuck	trainee property manager - often derided by professional stockmen Money (notes) Policeman "Cop" Sheep
K Kleiner	See "Clyner"
L Lay Lee Lilt L.S.D	Verse or Poem ???? Short poem Money, - Pounds (L), Shillings (S), Pence (D)
M Mote Mulga (scrub) , also Mallee	Old Fashioned a small tree or group of such trees
N
O Ounce(s) (oz.)	A measurement of weight in the older systems (Avoirdupois I oz=28.3grams & Troy 1oz=31.1gram) Gold is measured in Troy ounces
P Pelf Pound Port (Queensland) Prad Pug Put on side	Money Measurement of weight (16 ounces) or a unit of money (1 pound (Ł) = 20 shillings = 240 pence) - at metric conversion in Australia (1964) Ł1 = $2 suitcase, bag Horse (generally a racehorse) Building method , ie Clay plastered into a matrix of thin timber (Wattle and Daub) - also a Boxer Consider oneself superior to others, stuck-up
Q Quid	One Pound (20 shillings)
R Ringer	Top shearer in a team
S Sandgroper Screw Shandygaff Shanty Shypoo Ski Spieler Stamp, stamper Station Stuck-up Swank, Swankers	Person from (or native of) Western Australia (a sandgroper is a subterranean larviform insect (of the family Cylindrachetidae) found in the sandplains of Western Australia) Wages or Salary A mixture of Stout and lemonade - sometimes called a Port-a-gaff A small retail establishment often selling alcohol - tavern inferior quality liquor Slang term for a Person of Russian or Slavic origin A person employed to attract an audience Very noisy machine that crushed ore from which gold was extracted large pastoral property Consider oneself superior, put on side Upper-crust, well-off (rich) people
T Tab or Tabby Thrum Tin Tinned Dog Tom Tottie Tottie Shop Traybit Trap Tucker Two-up (also 'swy')	A young maid in a hotel or similar Threepence Money, coins See "Bully Beef" Prostitute Woman of "loose morals" (inc prostitute) Brothel Threepence Policeman Food A gambling game in which two pennies were tossed in the air
U
V
W Welkin	The "everywhere" - all around us
X
Y
Z Zack	sixpence
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