Australian Folk Songs
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Glossary

ante-up

poker, a card game

B-bows

hand shears, the B-shaped steel handle kept the blades sprung open

backblocks

in the bush, outback

bell

rung to begin and end a shift. A sheep arriving on the bell had to be shorn, not a welcome sight for the shearer

billabong

a pond; a bend in a creek or river which has been cut off by the build-up of silt. An ox-bow lake

billy

container for boiling water and cooking over a camp fire

blue

spend up, as on a spree

bluey

swag, knapsack

board

the floor of a shearing shed

brumby

a wild horse

clean skins

unbranded cattle

cliner

girl, girlfriend

cobbler

the hardest sheep to shear and left till last

cocky

a small farmer

colonial experience man

wealthy English families often sent the youngest sons to the colonies for experience

coolibah

species of eucalyptus

cradle

used to wash the ore on diggings near creeks and rivers. The rocking action washed out the dirt and left behind the gold

damper

bread made from flour, water and salt

dander

temper

Darling Pea

a toxic plant, hence a colloquialism for madness

dewdrop

an axe

dingo

native Australian dog

duffer

a rustler, rustled or stolen cattle

drum

blanket roll

Erin

Ireland

fats

road bullocks

Fenian

a brotherhood for the overthrow of British rule in Ireland

gaffer

boss of the shearing shed

German band

the German band, where the accordion predominated, was popular in the bush

gidgee

a low, scrubby plant

gun

a top shearer

gyp

the hurry-up; also to swindle or cheat

iron gang

convicts in chains

jackass

a kookaburra

jumbuck

a sheep

knocked-down

spent

leprosy

reference the 'health' of a place using 'scab' labour

lime juice tub

a British ship

long blow

a long, sweeping shearing cut

long-tom

narrow trough for washing gold

matilda

swag, knapsack

mob

herd of cattle, flock of sheep

moke

a horse

moleskins

tough working trousers

nardoo

An Australian swamp fern, Marsilea drummondii produces large sporocarps or fruiting bodies at the base of the clover-like fronds. These sporocarps are ground into a paste from which a form of bread is prepared

new chum

anyone new to Australia

nobbler

a measure of spirits

overlander

a cattle drover

patent pill machine

revolver

plonk

rough red wine

prad

a horse

prig

to steal

rhino

money

ryebuck

expert

ringer

fastest shearer in a shed

rouseabout, rouser

a general handyman

sawbees

hand shears

scab

someone who works during a strike, strikebreaker

screen

the table where the fleece is cleaned and classed

shanty

a rough bush tavern

shout

to buy drinks for others

silvertail

a wealthy, aristocratic person

snaffle

a bridle used by drovers

snagger

a clumsy shearer

sou

a very small sum of money

squatter

a wealthy landowner

stock

cattle or sheep, hence stockman

stone

used to sharpen shears

stoppers

leather straps to keep shears closed when not in use

stick the peg

to apply oneself

tally

number of sheep shorn by a shearer

tar

used on shearing cuts

ticker

a pocket watch

tongs

shears

traps

the police

troopers

the police

tucker

food

two-tooth

a year-old sheep; two teeth a year is normal growth

wallaby

on the wallaby, to travel the outback as a swagman or itinerant worker

Ward and Paine

a brand of shears

weaner

a recently weaned lamb

wether

a castrated ram

whipping side

the side of the sheep shorn last with long blows

whips

lots of

Wolseley

a brand of shears

yakka

work

yoe

a ewe, a female sheep

zack

a sixpence (five cents)

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australian traditional songs . . . a selection by mark gregory