Thursday, September 2, 2010

TODAY'S LESSON IN OZ-SPEAK

With the risk of boring you rigid I thought I should explain one more Aussie term.

If you know an Aussie you'll know that they often talk about the "bush".

Now this is not a single plant they are talking about . It's a place!


The bush can be found outside any town or city where the landscape is as it always has been without any interference from European settlement.


It's usually a wooded area, somewhere between a scrubland and a forest.
Generally the soil is dry and nitrogen-poor and is mostly without grass or sparsely covered with dry spindly brown grass. 
Woody shrubs and bushes are dotted around and overhead there is a sparse canapy of eucalypts trees.


There are usually lots of wattle trees mixed among the eucalyptus - different varieties in different areas.


Sometimes the bush is pretty but often it is just dry and brown and scraggly but it is full of life -birds, kangaroos, lizards, possoms, snakes, spiders and bugs of all types.
The bush is something that is uniquely Australian and very different to green European landscapes.

From the word "bush"come many phrases, including:

* bush-bash – to make one’s way through the bush, rather than on a track.

* bush lawyer- a layman who expounds on legal matters..

* bush walk - short day walks through the countryside

* going bush - to live in the bush for an extended period of time, which may include 'living off the land' by means of hunting or fishing.

* beating around the bush - to avoid answering a question; to stall; to waste time.

* bush telegraph - the way in which people quickly pass important information to other people, especially by talking

There ends today's lecture!!

Sorry to carry on ........ and on ....... and on..........

Cheers.

10 comments:

  1. We have Bush-wack...like your Bush-walk... Bushman-..a man who live in the bush... then there was our President... Mr. Bush...we won't talk about him. We will let him live in Bushville, Tx in the bush in peace.

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  2. We do use "bush" a lot to describe vast places dont we?

    I live in the foothills which is not as bushy as the bush but close.

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  3. They say round here that -
    "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

    Although...........
    I would rather fancy two 'birds' in the bush!

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  4. Thank you Helsie - I am becoming more and more interested in OZ since meeting you! Next up what exactly is the "outback"?!

    Jane x

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  5. Yes, we do refer to the bush an awful lot don't we. Although I live on acreage, it's still not considered bush. Behind my back fence line is a cattle property and that backs on to bush, so I'm not far away from it.

    I love The Garden Bell's comment, had a good chuckle.

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  6. Ah yes, I know all about the "bush" having watched Crocodile Dundee :D
    It certainly looks beautiful and quite unlike anything here in England.

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  7. The outback is me with my shirt off !

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  8. Thanks for sharing this. I love trivia when it comes to where sayings are derived.

    I'm sure the bush is beautiful, but, too many creepy, poisonous things out there for me!

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  9. Interesting post Helsie!
    Love it, thank you!
    Have a good weekend,
    Hugs Suex

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  10. Great post Helen, I can picture you in your teaching days!! - Brilliant, we say dont beat around the bush and bush telegraph - interesting stuff. Yes I too would like to hear about the "Outback" and I chuckled at TGBs comments!!! Oh by-the-way thank you for your lovely comments on my blog, the glitter yarn is remarkably soft can't feel the metallic thread in it at all- I don't usually like anything rough in the yarn either. Thanks also for the Glucosomine tip - I must try it - I have heard it is great for sore joints!! Thanks x

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