The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-25
AUSTRALIAN SLANG.
HOW A LANGUAGE MAY BE ENRICHED
BY CIRCUMSTANCE.
Words Adapted From Foreign Languages
or Coined Outright-Eventually New
Dictionary May Be Necessary For the
Convenience of Newcomers.

Dictionary May Be Necessary For the
Convenience of Newcomers.
Every year and every month more and
more Englishmen go out to Australia to
try to take advantage of the flowing tide
of fortune, while of those who stay at
home an ever increasing number interest
themselves pecuniarily in Australian ven
lures and become insensibly acquainted in
consequence with an entirely novel group
of ideas and modes of expression. At first
these new words and phrases are very con-
fusing to the English mind. Many of them
indeed are literally taken from foreign
languages-namely, those of the various
Australian aboriginal tribes or back feel.
lows as they are called Others are old
English slang, forgotten now in this coun-
try, and others new English slang import
ed direct from America There is some
excuse, therefore, for the temporary con-
fusion of the newly arrived stranger, or
'new chum, " when he first hears this odd
jargon mingled with the queens English.
There are certain words which even
Englishmen generally understand, words
which constantly recur, but which, as Ii
is unsafe to take anything for granted,
shall be explained and defined at the out
Set Such word is "bush." This means
uncleared ground, and especially the enor-
nous areas covered with open forests of
eucalyptus, or "gum," as it is locally
termed. A "bushman' is not black
fellow in the sense in which the Dutch
used the word at the Cape, but means
man accustomed to traverse the bush and
able to look after himself therein. To be
"bushed'' is to be lost in the bush, fate
usually reserved for those who are not
bushmen and very commonly ending in
death. It may be said that bush is gen.
eral word, including what the government
statistician of New South Wales terms
''open, brush and scrub forests. - The
"brush" forests are found chiefly along the
coasts and consist largely of fern trees
palms, cabbage trees, Moreton Bay figs,
ETC. The ''scrub" forests are mostly stunt
ed pines, acacia and gum. Having dis
posed of these three important words we
may pass on to say that "squatter" is a
large landowner, and his holding is called
"station."
The "squatocracy' corresponds to our
squirearchy. A station far removed from
centers of civilization is called "black
block" a small farmer is a "cockatoo' or
a "stringy barger;" ayoung man working
on a station for the sake of learning how
to farm is called "jackeroo;'' "select-
orr is a man who, under certain condi-
tions, is allowed to occupy small portion
of the squatter's holding and farm it I'M
I'll he is bought out by the squatter. Such
solicitors used formerly to be able to fix on
the most valuable parts of the holding.
They were then said to have "picked the
eyes out of it" and hence, from a connec-
ton of this idea with a peacock's tail, to
have "peacocked' it. This is still done
In nf AVE Ito
holders of stations often have their cattle
stolen, especially by these solicitors.
Stealing stock from station is called
"duffing" To prevent this it is custom
airy to brand stock. At certain times,
however, there are likely to be great num-
bers of unbranded young stock running
wild. These are called "clearskins, - and
more rarely, "cleanskins A "crawler'
Is sheep left behind on the road To
"baiP' cattle, as is well known, is to Sc
cure them by means of a bail; hence to
"bail up" is to drive into corner, and,
more generally, to render helpless. The
cry Of "bail up" signifies "hold your arms
above your head and keep them there till
further orders or I'll shoot you" The
idea Of the position is that the person bail.
ed up shall be rendered helpless and not
be able to reach his revolver.
So much then for stations and stock
We may now pass on to the station hands.
Not many, as a rule, are permanently en-
gagged on one place. A man of all work,
especially at shearing time, is called
t"rouse about" The ordinary Australian
laborer who travels from station to sta
ton, carrying his kit or "swag" on his
back, is called a "swagman, or "swag-
r:cr" While on the tramp through the
bush with this object in view, he Is said to
be con the wallaby" (wallaby being
small form of kangaroo common in the
bush) or to be carrying bluey," and,
general speaking, to "hump ones swag"
Is to make start, to set out, or continue
on tramp or journey, etc. The man
who appears at stations at sunset, ostensi-
bly, in search of work, but really DESTROYS
only of nights lodging and some provi-
sions, goes by the name of a "sundowner."
Such q man, like all those who are not fit
to be accommodated in the squatter's
house as guests, is sent to sleep in an out
house built for the purpose and commonly
called the barracks" Hence a "bar-
racks" has come to mean a rough, or a
rowdy of any sort. This word is more
common in New Zealand than in Austria
lia though the slang of both countries is
practically the same
The swagman and the sundowner in
variably carry a 'pannikin" and billy"
The former is an open pot, and the latter
is usually tin pot with lid holding a
quart. Perhaps it would be more correct
to say that it is usually without lid, for
the lid is soon lost. In this the swagman
makes his everlasting drink-tea Beer
and spirits are not very easy to be got in
many parts of the bush. But tea can be
easily carried, and every one drinks it in
Australia to excess Billy tea is rather
good You boil water in the billy over
your little fire in the bush, then throw in
a handful of tea and about half a handful
of sugar, leave to boil for few seconds,
take it off and drink as soon as it is cool
enough. Needless to say, there is no milk
in it. The swagman's chief food Is damp
er"-that is, bread made by himself with
out yeast and baked on hot stone in the
bush. To make damper well is high art
and there is not space here to explain how
to do it. When there is not time TO make
damper he makes "beggars on the coals'
or something which he calls by name
very similar. "Johnnycake'' is thin
damper fried in pan.-London Standard.