Saturday, January 29, 2005

The Bevan has togs in his port

"Word Map is mapping Australian regionalisms - words, phrases or expressions used by particular language groups. Add your regionalism or search to see what others have contributed. "

ABC project that attempts to map regional distribution of word use. Not sure how well it will work given that there often seems to be someone willing to declare that they live, for example in Brisbane and have never ever heard of a Bevan (maybe things have changed up there since I was exiled), or that its all rubbish that the use of the word ????? is centered in Sydney because they heard it used in Cooktown once. BTW, the Blogger spell check suggests I replace Bevan with bovine.

I think port would have to be my favourite fairly Briscentric word. My first recollection of the term was in reference to the chunky rectangular cardboard boxes with fake leather shoulder straps issued to me for the first few years of trekking to school (does anyone let their six year olds walk across half a suburb to school anymore by the way?). And yes, the port racks outside the classrooms.

And then there is the you say cantaloupe, I say rockmelon thing. Enough though, I doubt that there is really enough clear regionalisation in Australia to produce anything definitive.




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