MaureenE Posted 10 July , 2015 Share Posted 10 July , 2015 Digger dialects : a collection of slang phrases used by the Australian soldiers on active service by W.H. Downing 1919 http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/91206 State Library of Victoria The British Library World War One website has an entry for this book, but the digital file only contains the first 10 or so pages, not the whole book. An example: CHAT (n)—A Louse. CHAT (vb.)—To examine clothing in order to remove lice. Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 10 July , 2015 Share Posted 10 July , 2015 Thank you! Although my grandfather returned to England for the rest of his life (after serving in the Australian Army) he always ate Bergoo and taught me to call it that too. (I always assumed it was Burgoo but now I know better). BERGOO (n.), (Arab.)—Porridge. CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 10 July , 2015 Share Posted 10 July , 2015 Thanks Maureeene - I did like 'ABBASSIEH BUKRA—Retribution on the morning after the night before.' Oh, and also 'CAMEL—A small scouting Sopwith aeroplane.'...!!! But, do I detect some bowdlerisms, as in 'KNOCKING-SHOP—An untidy or squalid place.'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 11 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2015 ! But, do I detect some bowdlerisms, as in 'KNOCKING-SHOP—An untidy or squalid place.'? To some extent yes, however it probably had also had the meaning given, as I have heard the expression “that place/ room looks like a brothel” meaning it’s dirty/untidy etc. Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 July , 2015 Share Posted 11 July , 2015 To some extent yes, however it probably had also had the meaning given, as I have heard the expression “that place/ room looks like a brothel” meaning it’s dirty/untidy etc. Cheers Maureen Raising the question of what the person expressing the statement knows about the interior of a brothel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green_acorn Posted 11 July , 2015 Share Posted 11 July , 2015 There are bowdlerism's, not just in the descriptions, but in the actual slang. One or two descriptive (offensive and derogatory) terms, for our English and American kin, are very shallowly changed. Cheers, Hendo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 11 July , 2015 Share Posted 11 July , 2015 Thanks Maureen, now I know what a 'chat' was, I've finally figured out what my grandfather was talking about in 1917! one dirty bunter put two in his singlet just before inspection - he used to have to have a look every 5 minutes to see poor Chat had not escaped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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