rural translations

There are hundreds of words and expressions that are almost exclusively used in the Australian bush.

A large list of explanations has been published in “A Million Acre Masterpiece — Images of Australia’s Largest Cattle Stations”.

A few of the many words included in the book glossary are: antbeds, artesian, barra, bedourie oven, bullbar, carbide light, cocky’s gate, dingo’s breakfast, donga, dough banger, flying foxes, gidgee stones, hi-set house, horseplant, lighting plant, packhorses, pig dog, poddy dodger, quartpot, scrub, smoko time, stockcamp, turkey nest, white ants, willy willy. Many of the glossary items also feature in the photographs.

Quite a few of the words commonly used in Australia are derived from, or related to, Spanish words. For example ‘rodeo’ (rodear), bridle (brida) and barbeque (barbacoa; Spanish but originally from South America or the Caribbean, perhaps Haiti).

Spanish ‘vaqueros’ (cowboys) worked in what is now the American South West at the very beginning of the U.S. beef industry. Consequently many more of the words commonly used in America are derived from Spanish words, for example ‘stampede’ originates from ‘stampida’, ‘cinch’ from ‘cincha’, ‘lariat’ from ‘la reata’ and ‘lasso’ from ‘lazo’.

Instead of imported words being added to the Australian language in recent years new arrivals have begun to displace many unique words and expressions that have developed with the cattle industry here. While it is natural for languages to evolve and become more expressive, these alternative words often aren’t as colourful or accurate as the originals.

Australia is losing these words more rapidly than other countries because the cattle industry here is only two centuries old and it is one of the most urbanised countries in the world.

An ever-decreasing percentage of the population have a direct connection with the bush so fewer and fewer people have first hand knowledge of the language commonly used on stations and farms. So this means that the very strong overseas film and advertising industry has a much greater impact than would otherwise be the case.

People are using words from other countries (particularly the U.S.) simply because they are unfamiliar with the home-grown alternatives, and a young culture is not as resilient and resistant to change as an older one.

Many of these endangered words and sayings are very evocative or extremely witty, indicative of the typically dry humour found in the Australian bush. It would be a tragedy if they disappeared completely from our language. (If you want a solid dose of Australian ‘slang’ read some C.J. Dennis.)

Quite often these increasingly uncommon words appear in my photograph titles, simply because they’re the most accurate or appropriate words.

Australian words with a few of the similar words used in other countries:

• ‘bloke’ or ‘fella’ – ‘guy’ (American)
• ‘breakaway’ (eroded drop or cliff face) — ‘gulch’ (American)
• ‘brumby’ (wild horse) — ‘mustang’, ‘bronco’ (Mexican, American)
• ‘bushfire’ — ‘brushfire’ (American)
• ‘camp oven’ — ‘dutch oven’ (American)
• ‘canter’ (the 3rd horse gait) — ‘lope’ (American)
• ‘catching rope’ — ‘lariat’ and ‘lasso’ (American)
• ‘cattle dogs’ — ‘cow dogs’ (American)
• ‘cattle yard’ — ‘corral’ (American, Spanish)
• ‘chook shed’ — ‘chicken coop’ (American)
• ‘cleanskin’ (unbranded beast) — ‘maverick’ (American)
• ‘cook’s wagon’ or ‘buncart’ — ‘chuckwagon’ (American)
• ‘girth’ (holds the saddle on) — ‘cinch’ (American)
• ‘headstockman’ — ‘foreman’, ‘leading hand’, (American)
• ‘horse float’ — ‘horse trailer’ (American, Canadian)
• ‘horsemen/women’ — ‘cowboys/girls’ (American)
• ‘horsetailer’ (looks after the plant of horses) — ‘wrangler’ (American)
• ‘jillaroos/jackeroos’ (apprentices, traditionally better educated) — ‘cowboys/girls’ (American)
• ‘jackeroo’ (as an insult) — ‘greenhorn’ (American)
• ‘jump-up’ (plateau of land, tabletop) — ‘mesa’ (American)
• ‘paddock’ — ‘field’, ‘meadow’ (American & English)
• ‘pub’ (hotel) — ‘bar’, ‘saloon’, ‘cantina’ (American & Mexico)
• ‘mob’ (of cattle) — ‘herd’ (American)
• ‘muster’ — ‘roundup’ (American)
• ‘ringer’ (on northern cattle stations; experienced musterer) — ‘cowboy’ (American, Canadian)
• ‘stockman’ — ‘cowboy’ (American, Canadian). See also ‘Words for “stockmen” in other languages’.
• ‘roadhouse’ (service station) — ‘diner’ (American)
• ‘roadtrain’ — ‘trailer truck’ or ‘big rig’ (American)
• ‘roughriders’ (rodeo riders) — ‘cowboys’ (American)
• ‘rush’ — ‘stampede’ (American)
• ‘scrub’ — ‘brush’ (American)
• ‘shed’ (often open sided) — ‘barn’ (usually closed in, due to snowy winters) (American, Canadian)
• ‘stations’ — ‘ranches’ (North American). See also ‘Words for “Stations” in other Languages’.
• ‘stock yards’ — ‘corral’ (American, Spanish)
• ‘swag’ — ‘bed roll’ (American)
• ‘track’ — ‘trail’ (American)
• ‘trot’ (the 2^nd horse gait) — ‘jog’ (American)
• ‘tucker’ (food) (tuckerbox) — ‘grub’ (American)
• ‘ute’ (utility) — ‘pickup’ (truck) (American, Canadian)

For a good dose of unique Australian words and expressions, order “A Million Acre Masterpiece — Images of Australia’s largest cattle stations” now.