OZ VERNACULAR

(Mainly for overseas readers. It is also a segue for tomorrow's Bytes).

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BILLABONG:

A cut-off meander bend of a river, formed most commonly when floodwaters createa new straighter channel.

The word comes from the south-western New South Wales Aboriginal language Wiradjuri: bila ‘river’ + bang (a suffix probably indicating a continuation in time or space, or functioning), the combination signifying a watercourse that runs only after rain. First recorded in the 1830s.

1861 Burke & Wills, Exploring Expedition:

At the end of a very long waterhole, it breaks into billibongs, which continue splitting into sandy channels until they are all lost in the earthy soil.

A billabong

Banjo Paterson's popular song "Waltzing Matilda" is set beside a billabong.

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BILLY:

A vessel for the boiling of water, making of tea, etc., over an open fire; a cylindrical container, usually of tin, enamel ware, or aluminium, fitted with a lid and a wire handle.

It comes from the Scottish dialect word billy-pot meaning ‘cooking utensil’. Possibly reinforced by bouilli tin (recorded 1858 in Australia and 1852 in New Zealand, with variant bully tin recorded in New Zealand in 1849 but not until 1920 in Australia), an empty tin that had contained preserved boeuf bouilli 'bully beef', used as a container for cooking.

It is not, as popularly thought, related to the Aboriginal word billabong. Billy is first recorded in the 1840s.

1859 W. Burrows, Adventures of a Mounted Trooper in the Australian Constabulary:

A 'billy' is a tin vessel, something between a saucepan and a kettle, always black outside from being constantly on the fire, and looking brown inside from the quantity of tea that is generally to be seen in it.

 

The Jolly Swagman in Winton; the town made famous by the Waltzing Matilda song. Note the billy next to him.

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DAMPER:

Damper is a thick home-made bread traditionally prepared by early European settlers in Australia. It is a bread made from wheat-based dough, flour, salt and water, with some butter if available, is kneaded and baked in the coals of a campfire, either directly or within a camp oven. I used to make it to go with lamb stew. Can’t beat it.

Etymology

The word "damper" originated as a specific use of the British word "damper", meaning "something that takes the edge off the appetite". There was likely also some influence from the phrase "damp down" as in "to damp down a fire".

When cooked as smaller, individually-sized portions, the damper may be known as "bush scones" or "johnnycakes" (also "johnny cakes").

Damper was eaten by stockmen who travelled in remote areas for long periods, with only basic rations of flour (much less bulky than baked bread), sugar and tea, supplemented by whatever meat was available. It was also a basic provision of squatters.

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BUNYIP

An amphibious monster supposed to inhabit inland waterways. Descriptions of it vary greatly. Some give it a frightful human head and an animal body. Many descriptions emphasise its threat to humans and its loud booming at night. It inhabits inland rivers, swamps, and billabongs. The word comes from the Aboriginal Wathaurong language of Victoria. Bunyip is first recorded in the 1840s.

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