Byter Steve dropped me a note as follows:
I noticed you signed off the Bytes today, using the word “cobbers”. We don’t hear that used so much today, but I would be interested to know how it came about if you have space on a Byte sometime in the future please.
When I used the word “cobbers” previously, I deliberately selected an Australianism that contrasted strongly with the wish for a happy Fourth of July, a contrast between Australia and an American celebration that really has no relevance as a celebration in Australia.
The word “cobbers” has, however (and regrettably) fallen into disuse, having been replaced by the Oz word “mates” and (shudder) by the Seppo word “buddies”. “Cobbers” was placed on the list of endangered Australian words by the Australian National Dictionary and the Australian Oxford Dictionary in 2003:
