h'work for w/e 6.9.21 ... OUR AUSSIE SPEAK WAS QUITE UNIQUE

[Maureen K Clifford]

OUR AUSSIE SPEAK WAS QUITE UNIQUE .. Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBarkPoet

Is our Aussie slang really dying or at least taking a hit?
Being replaced by Americanisms - words that just don't fit.
From early convict beginnings a mish mash of pommy phrases
mingled with other snippets of language from throughout the ages.

It's the bawdy slang of our diggers, the Aussie speak of our land.
the spiel of irreverent ANZAC's a staunchly brave gutsy band
of men who formed this country's backbone, men who fought to keep it free
and I bet they're rolling in their graves now , amazed at what they see.

He's 'lower than a black snake's belly', was once a commonly used phrase
a description that's very accurate and so it shouldn't amaze.
It's used to describe a right bastard, someone whose morals are low -
a ne'er do well, thief, cheat or mongrel , a fair dinkum so and so.

The tag ' two snags short of a barbie' doesn't really stretch your brain
for a barbie just served with onions would be considered fair game
for rude vociferous criticism - has someone lost the plot?
For when Aussie's enjoy a barbecue; they like the bloody lot.

'dumb as a hammer' is pretty damn dumb, what a picture is sown,
a tool that's good for driving nails but blessed with no brain of its own.
A mere lump of heavy metal hafted onto a slab of wood
it can only really do one job so for most things it's no good.

If you could 'ride to Bourke on that knife and you wouldn't cut your bum'
it means the knife you're using must be blunt 'cause I'm telling you chum
from Wilcannia that road is dirt , and often there is a delay
or perhaps it is saying you're stupid - just in another way.

Our own Aussie speak is quite unique. Will we heritage betray
if we lose it? It doesn't matter - I can hear some folk here say.
But do we want to be a clone of the old USA at worst?
Our loved iconic Akubras replaced with baseball caps reversed.

The ' roos loose in the top paddock', do we want to see them dispersed
and replaced with something different - un-Australian, unrehearsed?
Do we want our Utes to be renamed and described as Pickup trucks?
Do we really give a dam at all if our language comes unstuck?

'cross the world language is evolving, populations now are 'woke',
the words of C J Dennis aren't the words now of an Aussie bloke,
nor indeed a sentimental bloke - times have changed we're moving on
and the Aussie lingo as she was is going, going, gone.

[Maureen K Clifford]

I'm far from happy with this one but it will kick off the homework hopefully - I guess this will be one that I fiddle with over time as one does with the duds in our files - some bits I like other bits not so much

[Ron]

I reckon it's pretty good Maureen, well done! You not only used the prompts but gave an insight into them as well!
"It's the bawdy slang of our diggers, the Aussie speak of our land." - what a great line!

I guess over time the advancement and improvement in communication, has accelerated to a point where sadly our Aussie lingo has suffered from foreign influence.

Cheers
Ron.

[Shelley Hansen]

No doubt about it Maureen, our language is changing - and not for the better! Definitely on the grey side compared with the colourful lingo we used to hear!

I'll try and do better with supporting the writing workshop this time around - since we returned from our trip out west we've been pitchforked into a situation of unofficial aged care and arranging care packages for an elderly friend. Exhaustion certainly takes its toll on the muse!!

[Maureen K Clifford]

Thank you Ron and Shelley

Traversing the minefield of aged care is completely exhausting Shelley and requires more patience than most of us are blessed with. You are a good friend and I am sure your help is greatly appreciated.

[Terry]

G/day Maureen,

You had a go and that's all that matters.
Like you I'm often not too happy with my efforts at times.
But as you say we can always go back and give them a bit of a polish in the future.
Some poem just seem to roll of the pen, while others just wont cooperate - who'd be a poet?

I have times when I just can't be bothered either.

Terry

[Shelley Hansen]

Thanks Maureen. I'm not doing anything particularly special - just the same red tape tango that everyone faces when organising things in the aged care sector!

Anyway, I've finally got my head around some homework!

[Catherine Lee]

Very good Maureen - I like the way you've included explanations of the lingo. Yes, it is indeed sad that so much traditional language is changing. Even sadder is the way in which some people seem to be picking through it all to see what they can be 'offended by' - I have little patience for this, nor for some of the many so-called 'new words' being added to our dictionaries...At least there are still some of us who will try to keep tradition alive.