Nature calls!

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings All

I think you would find that the "Night soil man" did the tipping, and the zac was his reward. Tipping as such was frowned upon down here. I assumed a zac would have been a silver coin, but the slang dictionary I consulted did not have zac in its memory. The poem mentioned POUNDS and other words that I assumed had a UK not American origin, but it was not until I Goggled the first line of the poem, that I was sure the poem was from Southern latitudes, and Australia being given the credit.

Thanks. Alan SHARP.

[Alan SHARP]

That's an interesting slang word. wonder where it came from. Back here in the U.K. sixpence was referred to as a "tanner" back in the days of pounds, shillings and pence - which I remember only too clearly yet can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday

Russell

July the 10th 1967 is when we changed to a decimal based currency. Remembering you can not remember is quite OK, it's when you can not remember period, that the problems start, and then you are beyond worrying. Alan.

[momat]

Another Google gives you this connection to Scottish dialect.

Why was Sixpence called a Zack?
"Zack" was a slang term used mostly in Australia and New Zealand for a Sixpence.

The term is thought to have originated with the Scottish pronunciation of Sixpence - being "Saxpence", with a thick Scottish accent.

[Russell]

Hi Maureen

That derivation should interest Sarah with her interest and understanding of accents and pronunciation.
Shifts in language, dialect and word meaning are a source of fascination and help our understanding of the ancestor trail.

Russell

[Currie]

My favourite Australian poet is C. J. Dennis. He rates in the top three Australian poets along with Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. I had a book of his poems when I was a kid. Old C. J. was quite a poet. The Australian Prime Minister, Joe Lyons, said in 1938 that he was Australia’s Robert Burns.

One of his creations was The Australaise, a marching song that could be sung to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers. It was very popular with Australian soldiers during the First World War. The poem contained a number of blank spaces for which a suitable word could be substituted. Blessed or Blooming was suggested but these weren’t very popular. http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/d ... laise.html

Fellers of Australier,
Blokes an' coves an' coots,
Shift yer ------ carcases,
Move yer ------ boots.
Gird yer ------ loins up,
Get yer ------ gun,
Set the ------ enermy
An' watch the blighters run.

The Australaise was inspired by an earlier poem, The Great Australian Adjective, written in 1898 by W. T. Goodge. http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/g ... ctive.html

The sunburnt ------ stockman stood
And, in a dismal ------ mood,
Apostrophized his ------ cuddy;
"The ------ nag's no ------ good,
He couldn't earn his ------ food -
A regular ------ brumby,
------!"

Now that I've mentioned Banjo Paterson I should say that I have a very strong connection to the gent.
In 1866 my Nephew-in-law’s GGGrandfather sold his house to Banjo's Grandmother.
In 1912 Banjo's cousin adopted my mother’s 2nd cousin.
In 1982 my 4th cousin starred in a film based on one of the Banjo's poems.
A couple of years ago I researched Banjo's antecedents for someone on this very forum!
And to top it all off, only yesterday I had a $10 note in my pocket with Banjo's face on it.

In my opinion one of the Banjo’s best poems was Mulga Bill’s Bicycle. http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/p ... ulgab.html

‘Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;
He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;
He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;
He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;
And as he wheeled it through the door, with air of lordly pride,
The grinning shop assistant said, "Excuse me, can you ride?"

And so on.

Alan

[trish1]

Hi Alan

You do bring back some memories - my Dad was raised (well, brought himself up is probably a more apt description) in western NSW. He went to school when he didn't have a job, had his first pair of shoes when he went to high school & although he didn't live truly in the outback - as per the "back of Bourke" his father was born in Bourke.

Much of his schooling consisted of reading and learning to recite British and Australian poems, plays and stories. Despite the method, it gave him a life long love of literature/poetry and as children we were enthralled to listen to him reciting C.J. Dennis, Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, William Shakespeare and Robbie Burns.

My favourite Banjo Paterson has always been a Bush Christening - http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/p ... isten.html - perhaps because, in my Dad's young world - and that of his parents - children were "rounded up" and christened when the local priest or preacher came to town.

C J Dennis is much remembered for "the Sentimental Bloke" - and my favourite lines

"This ev'nin' I was sittin' wiv Doreen,
Peaceful an' 'appy wiv the day's work done,
Watchin', be'ind the orchard's bonzer green,
The flamin' wonder of the settin' sun.

Another day gone by; another night
Creepin' along to douse Day's golden light;
Another dawning when the night is gone,
To live an' love -- an' so life mooches on."

Thanks Alan - the time of year is so tuned to some wonderful memories

Trish

[Currie]

Thanks Trish, I don’t think I’ve read the christening one before, or maybe I have and I’ve forgotten.

My father was 11 when he was christened and he was done as part of a batch with a couple of siblings. He told me: “My mother took me out one Sunday afternoon - she wouldn’t say where we were going. I got suspicious and ran for my life but was caught.”

Merry Christmas,
Alan

[trish1]

Hi Alan

My paternal grandfather was named Mathew - as was his brother. Their mother had lost a number of children & we think she wanted to ensure she had a surviving Mathew (after her father). When aged about 3 my grandfather was renamed Francis by the local priest - details all added to the birth certificate. Everyone knew him as Jack. Life in the bush wasn't much concerned with formalities.

seasons wishes

Trish

[Alan SHARP]

Christmas Greetings All.

AKA’s an unwary Genealogists nightmare. My late wife was known to all as Sally, but was christened Alison Mary – go figure that. Some of her nursing friends, missed her funeral, because all they saw was the notice saying Alison Mary (Sally) SHARP and did not click to put the Sally with her parent’s surname. Through the ages there were others where the origins of a name, became folk lore. One that comes to mind is when Margaret became known as Bob, and no sex change was involved. Eyes must have turned, in days gone by, when family were over heard referring to Bob & Tom etc. And then to digress, another name association that used to raise an eye brow, was when a young lady started going out with a Dennis. Dennis was a Livestock Agent / Auctioneer, who loved horses and the game of Polo. To help with the up keep of his four horses, he took on the job of ‘Clerk of the Course’ at the Night Trots. When the lady in question, turned up at functions alone, the family would without fail, innocently reply “Oh Dennis has got the night trots”

Alan SHARP.