Lingo

Just before I left for Australia, I spent a wonderful night at my parents’ house with some great family friends – playing music, reading stories and enjoying the Christmas spirit. In preparation for coming here, we decided to try playing “Waltzing Matilda” by Banjo Paterson and soon realized we had absolutely no idea what the song was talking about! Every other word was Aussie slang. I was told to do some research and report back. So here goes…

The lyrics to the song are as follow:

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong.
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee.
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag:
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me",
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag:
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred.
Down came the troopers, one, two, and three.
"Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me",
"Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong.
"You'll never take me alive!" said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me",
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Here’s a link if you don’t know the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvazMc5EfE)

When it came out some years ago, I watched the movie “Australia” with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. I obviously came away from that experience as an expert on anything Australian so I already knew that a “billabong” is a small body of water.  I’ve since learned that a swagman is an itinerant traveler, a billy is a can for boiling water and Matilda is another word for a bedroll.  A jumbuck is a sheep and a tuckerbag is for storing food. The title actually means traveling by foot with one’s goods and the basic story line is that a guy is camping and making tea when a sheep wanders through. The guy captures the sheep to eat but soon the farmer shows up with the cops to arrest the guy for stealing a sheep. Rather than be arrested, he jumps in the water and drowns. And Bob’s your uncle.

Some other words that I’ve learned (and of course have started peppering my conversations with…probably incorrectly) are:

…And Bob's your uncle!  Don’t ask me why, but it means something like  “…and it’s as easy as that!” or maybe “…and there you have it!”

Jug Pitcher

Line Hose

No worries You’re welcome and also sometimes OK or Yes

Full on Completely – or in some cases Hardcore

Knickers Underwear

Knackered Exhausted, pooped, tired.

Sunnies Sunglasses

Dam A swimming hole or water reservoir

Mob Group

Bathers Swimsuit

Bloke Guy

Bloody Very

Blowie Fly

Brekkie Breakfast

Bush The forest, the outback, the woods, anywhere that isn’t in a town

Good Onya Well done

Lollies Sweets/candy

Mate Buddy

Mozzie Mosquito

Oldies Parents