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)
australian traditional songs . . . a selection by mark gregory