JoyZine










""






Search JoyZine with Google Site Search!

Australia Decoded
'G-1'


Gallipoli

Gallipoli



G and D—(Australian Rules football) guts and determination.

g'day—(contraction of: good day) a greeting: e.g. G'day, mate! (often completed by, Ow-a ah-ya? Good?).

ga-ga—1. mad; insane; silly; foolish. 2. senile. 3. bewitched, besotted, enraptured by.

Gabba—1. the suburb of Woolloongabba in Brisbane, Queensland. 2. site of the Queensland Cricket Association. Brisbane's famous "Gabba" ground at Woolloongabba hosts international and state cricket games, and is home ground for the Brisbane Lions Australian Football team.

gabble-guts—talkative, loquacious person.

Gabi-Gabi—an Aboriginal tribe of Queensland that inhabited the Sunshine Coast area prior to European settlement.

gabster—radio talk-host.

gadabout—person who leads an active social life.

gaffer—1. an old fellow; an elderly rustic. 2. a foreman or boss.]

Gagudju—an Aboriginal people of the northern half of western Arnhem Land and the Kakadu Escarpment. The Gagudju language was the main Aboriginal language in use at the start of the 20th century. The anglicised name of 'Kakadu' was derived from the word Gagudju.

gal—galvanised iron, a ubiquitous roofing material (and generally referred to as a "tin roof"). Lightweight and durable, gal could be cheaply transported to remote sites, as well as more easily installed than the wood shingles it had largely replaced by the 1890s.

galah—1. Cacatua roseicapilla, a grey and pink cockatoo. An active and noisy bird with a shrill call. Also known as the rosy-headed cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo in America. 2. a twit; foolish person; someone who talks a lot but says nothing sensible.

galah session—special interval on the Flying Doctor radio service to allow people to gossip with their neighbours who may live hundreds of kilometres away.

Galibal—a language group of the Bundjalung people. Their traditional land is in the Border Ranges.

Galiwin'ku community—situated on Elcho Island, which is part of the Wessel Island group located in the East Arnhem region of the Northern Territory. Galiwin'ku is the major community on Elcho Island and is 550km north-east of Darwin. The township of Galiwin'ku is based at the southern end of Elcho Island and has a floating population of around 2,200 Yolngu people, which includes outstations at Mata Mata, Inglis Island, Maparru and Gariyak and many others. Djambarrpuyngu and Gupapuyngu are the most commonly spoken Yolngu Mata languages, but there are perhaps another 12 languages that are still spoken.

gall—impudence; cheek.

gallery rainforest—a riverine rainforest occurring within the wet-dry tropics. Here, the rivers are often surrounded by limestone soils and laterites.

Gallipoli—the campaign against the Turks in WWI marked the first time that Australians went into combat as Australians. The term ‘ANZAC’ originated from that time—a contraction of Australian and New Zealand Corp. Though the campaign was a disaster for the ANZAC forces, it helped define the Australian identity as separate from Mother England. Anzac Day is arguably Australia’s most significant national holiday, occurring annually on 25th April, the date of the start of the Gallipoli campaign.

gallivant—to gad about; behave in a socially flirtatious manner.

gallops—(the...) the trots, i.e., the horse-races.

galoot -an awkward fool; a clumsy dolt.

galumph—1. move, leap or prance clumsily, noisily: e.g., That girl is a great galloping galumph. 2. leap for joy.

galvo—galvanised iron.

game as a piss-ant—very daring, brave or willing (particularly when referring to someone small in stature).

game as Ned Kelly—fearless in the face of overwhelming odds.

game of ivories—the game of pool.

game of misspent youth—pool, snooker or related games.

game, set and match—a resounding victory: e.g., It was game, set and match to Fred in the beer-drinking competition.

gammy—lame; an injury to the leg that causes a permanent limp.

gamp—an umbrella, especially a large, unwieldy one. (an allusion to the umbrella of Mrs Gamp, in Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit).

Ganay—an Aboriginal people of the south-eastern coastal area of Victoria.

gang-gang cockatooCallocephalon fimbriatum, a vulnerable species closely related to the galah. The old-growth eucalypt forests that provide nesting hollows for the gang-gang have been logged for over one hundred years, and the logging still continues. In winter they move into lower altitude woodlands, including civic and domestic gardens around Canberra. Adult males have a scarlet head and crest, and a dusky grey body; females and juveniles lack the scarlet colouring; the crest of both sexes is curved. Also known as the helmeted cockatoo and the red-crowned cockatoo. Faunal emblem of the Australian Capital Territory.

Gangallida—an Aboriginal language, one of the main languages still spoken by residents of Doomadgee, Queensland.

gaol—British spelling of jail.

gaol-bait—a girl under the legal age of consent viewed as a sex object.

Gapuwiyak Community Inc—an Aboriginal community located approximately 150km west/south-west of the mining town of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory. The community has a population of around 1000 Yolngu people.

Garawa—an Aboriginal people, primarily of the Groot Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Garawa language is identified with the region between the McArthur River and the Queensland border, extending inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria and including the settlements of Borroloola and Doomadgee. There are two dialects of the language: Eastern Garawa, spoken around Wollogorang cattle station, and Western Garawa, spoken around Robinson River cattle station. The language is considered to be nearing extinction.

garbage-guts—greedy person; person who eats often, eats leftovers.

garbo—a shire-employed collector of household garbage.

Garden of Eden—any beautiful, outdoor place.

Garden State—the state of Victoria, site of South Australia's fruit-growing industry. Though widely deprecated for its unpredictable weather, Victoria is responsible for approximately one-third of the country's gross national product.

Garig Gunak Barlu National Park—encompasses the entire Cobourg Peninsula, the surrounding waters of the Arafura Sea and Van Diemen Gulf, and some of the neighbouring islands. The park covers about 4500sq km. Its aquatic surrounds form Gurig Gan Barlu Marine Park, encompassing an area of 2800sq km. The traditional owners consented to the establishment of the national park in return for regaining title to their traditional lands. Previously known as Gurig National Park and Cobourg Marine Park. Located about 570km north-east of Darwin.

Gariwerd—the local Aboriginal name for the Grampians region.

garlic muncher—1. (derog.) a person of Mediterranean birth or lineage; spec., a Greek or an Italian. 2. a person whose breath smells of garlic.

garn!—(contraction and elision of 'go on') expression of doubt or disbelief.

Garrigal—one of two tribes of the Guringai nation that occupied the area that is now encompassed by the Garig Gan Barlu National Park. The Garrigal lived around West Head. The other tribe, the Terramerragal, lived in the Turramurra area.

gasbag—1. a windbag; a garrulous person. 2. to talk excessively.

gasbagging—engaging in long-winded conversation.

Gascoyne—a region of Western Australia surrounded by coastal cliffs and gorges—rugged low Proterozoic sedimentary and granite ranges divided by broad flat valleys. Open mulga woodlands occur on shallow earthy loams over hardpan on the plains, with mulga scrub and emu bush shrublands on the shallow stony loams of the ranges. The Carnegie Salient, in the east, is characterised by extensive salt lake features supporting succulent steppes. Arid. Bordered by the Indian Ocean, the Gascoyne region is commonly referred to as the 'outback coast'. The main towns of the region are Denham, Exmouth and Carnarvon. Attractions include Shell Beach, Mount Augustus, the Francois Peron National Park, Monkey Mia, Ningaloo Reef, and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area in the southernmost part of the region.

Gascoyne River—situated in the arid shrublands and pastoral region on a floodplain delta, the Gascoyne River is generally dry above the surface, with river flows dependant on rainfall in the Lyons and Upper Gascoyne River catchments. Floods occur at irregular intervals, isolating Carnarvon from the north and south of Western Australia. Horticultural plantations for mango, banana and vegetable production abut the river reserves. The surrounding area is Crown land, primarily under pastoral lease. Other activities include salt and sand mining, commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism, recreation and conservation. The Gascoyne, although dry most of the year, is the source of underground water that is pumped up to supply the plantations.

gasper—a cigarette (from WWI, digger dialect).

gasser—anything wonderful, splendid, successful.

gastric brooding frog—an aquatic frog of two species, Rheobatrachus silus and R. vitellinus. The female swallows the eggs or early larvae, completing their development in her stomach. Up to 25 young are brooded in this fashion, emerging from the mother's mouth as fully formed metamorphs in about 6-7 weeks. The larvae release hormones which inhibit the mother's production of gastric acid, while they receive nourishment from individual yolk sacs. No populations of either species of this unique frog have been recorded since 1985.

gastro—stomach upset.

Gat—1. the Gattling gun, an early-model machine gun used in WWI. 2. a handgun.

Gatton—a town situated in the Lockyer Valley, 90km west of Brisbane, Qld.

Gaurna—an Aboriginal people of South Australia.

Gawler—Gawler (population 19,000) was named for the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. Topographically, Gawler lies at the confluence of two tributaries of the Gawler River. Gawler was established by a 'special survey' for a syndicate of colonists, and the town plan was devised by the colonial surveyor, William Light. As the only other town planned by Light, Gawler is ironically dissimilar to Adelaide's (2.6sq km) grid. The heart of Gawler is triangular rather than square, a form dictated by the topographical features. The parkland along the riverbanks and a Victorian preference for public squares are there but Light was aware that he was planning a village, not a metropolis. Gawler prospered early with the discovery of copper nearby at Kapunda, which resulted in Gawler becoming a stopping point on the way to Adelaide. Later, it developed industries such as flour milling and manufacturing steam locomotives. Generally, however, Gawler was, and remains, a commercial centre for the Mid-North districts of South Australia and, increasingly, a dormitory town for Adelaide. The town is located 40km north of Adelaide and close to the major wine producing district of Barossa Valley.

Gawler, Colonel George—Adelaide's second Governor, who arrived on October 1838 to a situation of almost no public finances, underpaid officials and 4000 immigrants still living in makeshift accommodation. Gawler's first goal was to address delays over rural settlement and agriculture. He persuaded Sturt in New South Wales to work for him as surveyor-general. But the land boom eased after 1839, cash and credit were scarce, explorations indicated limited good land, and British speculators became more interested in New Zealand. In 1840 there were crop failures in the other Australian colonies, upon which Adelaide still relied for food, and the cost of living increased rapidly. Gawler increased public expenditure to prevent an economic collapse, which resulted in bankruptcy and, later on, changes to the way the colony was run. A head had to roll and Captain George Grey was sent to replace Gawler. Nevertheless, Governor Gawler put Adelaide on a firm footing, making South Australia agriculturally self-sufficient, building infrastructure and restoring public confidence.

Gawler bioregion—covers an area of approximately 12 million hectares. The main features are the Galwer Ranges in the south, and plains and salt-encrusted lakes. The region is semi-arid to arid, flat-topped to broadly rounded hills of the Gawler Range Volcanics and Proterozoic sediments, low plateaux on sandstone and quartzite with an undulating surface of aeolian sand or gibbers and rocky quartzite hills with colluvial footslopes, erosional and depositional plains and salt-encrusted lake beds, with belah and myall low open woodlands, open mallee scrub, bluebush/saltbush open chenopod shrublands and tall mulga shrublands on shallow loams, calcareous earths and hard red duplex soils. Located in South Australia.

Gawler Craton—an extensive region of Archaean to Mesoproterozoic crystalline basement underlying approximately 440,000sq km of central South Australia. It has been defined as that region of crystalline basement which has not been substantially deformed or remobilised, except for minor epirogenic movements, since 1450 Ma. Much of the area is covered by thin, platformal sediments and regoliths of Neoproterozoic to Cainozoic age. The boundaries of the craton are defined to the north-east, north-west and west by faulted margins and thick Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic sedimentary basins. To the east and southeast the Torrens Hinge Zone defines the margin, adjacent to the western limit of the Adelaide Fold Belt. The southern boundary is coincident with the edge of the continental shelf. Crust forming and tectonothermal events occurred during the late Archaean to earliest Proterozoic (Sleafordian Orogeny, 2440 Ma), Paleoproterozoic (Kimban Orogeny, 1850-1700 Ma) and Mesoproterozoic (Kararan Orogeny 1670-1540 Ma).

Gawler Range Volcanics—(1590 Ma) form a huge felsic volcanic province in the central Gawler Craton, with over 25,000sq km of preserved outcrop. They are divided into two broad groups, an upper and lower unit. The lower unit is more varied, gently to steeply tilted, and contains dacite-rhyodacite-rhyolite, ignimbrites and flows with thick, interlayered sequences of basaltic lavas. The upper unit contains thick, subhorizontal, porphyritic dacite sheets predominantly ignimbritic in origin. The extensive Hiltaba Suite (1600-1585 Ma) is comagmatic with the Gawler Range Volcanics and is dominated by felsic granite plutons. Outcrop is most abundant in the central Gawler Craton, particularly on the western and south-western margins of the Gawler Range Volcanics. This unit is characteristically pink due to hematite dusting of the feldspar crystals. The Hiltaba Suite and Gawler Range Volcanics were derived from partial digestion of the crust by mantle plumes and are the source for widespread Au-Cu-U mineralisation within the Gawler Craton. Outcrop is restricted to islands of the Sir Joseph Banks Group in the Spencer Gulf between Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula.

Gawler Ranges—on the northern side of the Eyre Peninsula is a dry area with gorges, weathered rocky outcrops, seasonal waterfalls and many salt lakes. Wildlife is prolific, with over 140 species of birds, including emu, bee eaters, cockatoos, eagles and parrots, as well as red and grey kangaroos, pygmy possums and hairy-nosed wombats. It is one of the world’s largest regions of volcanic rock. In the springtime months of August and September, wildflowers carpet the desert.

Gawler Ranges National Park—established in 2002, the scenery, flora and fauna of the park set it apart from all others in South Australia. Most tracks within the Park are recommended for high clearance 4WD vehicles only. An abundance of wildlife lives here, with emus, kangaroos, euros and yellow footed rock wallaby, high among the hills. The Major Mitchell cockatoo, Port Lincoln and mulga parrots fly from roost to roost among the mallee and black oak woodlands. Now, with the creation of the Gawler Ranges National Park, there are many new things being learned about how fragile this harsh land really is.

gawp—1. stare at (something/someone) in a dumbfounded manner. 2. an awkward or bashful person.

gay and frisky—(rhyming slang) whisky.

gazette—a gazette is an official publication of a governing body. To have been gazetted means to have been officially announced by means of publication. When something has been published in a government gazette, it is said to have been gazetted, and is referred to as the gazetted version. The federal gazette is known as the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.

gazinta—1. a small flying insect. 2. school-teacher slang for arithmetical division: e.g., Today we are going to practice our gazintas.

gazodjule—a name for an object of which one cannot remember the name.

gazump—1. raise the price of a property after having accepted an offer 2. swindle.

gear—1. clothes: e.g., You have to get your gear off before changing into a cossie. 2. equipment; implements; tools. 3. marijuana or other drugs.

geared up—1. ready; prepared. 2. excited: e.g., She's all geared up about next week's trip.

gecko—seventeen species of small, terrestrial lizards of the family Gekkonidae, which live in warm regions of the Australian continent. Their digits have adhesive pads, enabling them to climb on smooth, vertical surfaces (such as your bedroom walls). Their eyes lack moveable eyelids, and are covered by a transparent shield, which is periodically moulted along with the skin.

gee-gee—a horse, particularly in children's speech and in professional horse racing.

geebung—plants of the genus Persoonia are known generally as "geebungs". They can be found in all states but are absent from semi-arid and arid zones. P. pinifolia is probably the best known member of the genus. It is a large shrub that can reach 3 metres in height by a like width. The leaves of this tree are similar to pine needles in appearance. Small yellow flowers are borne in the leaf axils at the ends of the branches, occurring mainly in summer; and are followed by fleshy, green fruits which hang in grape-like clusters. 2. (cap.) a town in southeast Queensland.

geebung treeP. pinifolia, a large shrub that can reach 3 metres in height by a like width. The leaves appear similar to pine needles. Small, yellow flowers are borne in the leaf axils at the ends of the branches, and are followed by fleshy, green fruits which hang in grape-like clusters. The Aboriginal name for the geebung tree and its fruit is doolandella.

geek—a look: e.g., Have a geek at this. (from WWI, digger dialect).

Geelong—Victoria's second largest city (after Melbourne) and a major centre of manufacturing and commerce. Geelong has exported wool and other produce from its industrial port since the 1830s. In 1835, John Batman inspected the area on behalf of the Port Phillip Association, who were looking for new pasturage. The first European to visit the site was Lieutenant John Murray of the Royal Navy, who discovered and explored Corio Bay in 1802. Settled by Europeans between 1836-1838, Geelong’s rapid growth resulted in it being declared a town in 1849. The town’s population almost trebled in the first decade of gold fever, but by the late 1860s it had entered a period of stagnation. It would not recover until the 20th century, with post WWII immigration, industrial expansion and upgraded port facilities. For about 25,000 years prior to European settlement, the area had been occupied by the Wathauwurung people. Following settlement, the Indigenous population began to decline rapidly. The introduced livestock (sheep and cattle) competed successfully with native animals for their feed, displacing many that had traditionally been hunted by Aboriginals. Then a severe influenza epidemic occurred amongst the Wathaurong population. By 1853, tribal numbers living permanently around the town had dropped to between 30 and 40, compared to a recorded 300 people just seventeen years previously. Some of the historic bluestone warehouses remain along the waterfront, and one of these has been restored to house the National Wool Museum. Geelong is located on the south side of Corio Bay, 75km from Melbourne.

Geelong Deed—an agreement that ceded 500,000 acres of land around Melbourne and 100,000 acres around the future Geelong—including the entire Bellarine Peninsula—to the Port Phillip Association. John Batman, who headed the association and brokered the deed, "purchased" lands from the Aboriginal people in exchange for a down-payment and a yearly tribute of blankets, knives, tomahawks, looking glasses, scissors, clothing and flour. Governor Bourke of New South Wales declared the agreement illegal in his Proclamation of Terra Nullius.

geezer—1. an odd person; often used to describe the eccentricities of old age: e.g., Don't mind him, he's a harmless old geezer. 2. a squint; a gander, especially at something odd: e.g., Take a geezer at this!

Geikie Gorge National Park—once a submersed coral reef, the floor of the gorge was created over 350 million years ago. During that warmer period in time, the sea level was higher and the region was under water. Now, with more water taken up in the polar caps, the sea level has dropped and exposed the seabed, and a deep gorge has been carved by the waters of the Fitzroy River. Wildlife within the park includes the black-footed wallaby, wallaroos and freshwater crocodiles. Geikie Gorge is located a days' drive from Broome, in NW Western Australia.

gem—person or thing that is greatly admiration or appreciated.

gemfishRexea solandri is a bottom dwelling fish which inhabitants deep water off the New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmanian coasts. Generally found in large schools at depths of 100—800 metres. The gemfish is a member of the family Gempylidae, which includes the snoek or barracouta. Gemfish is generally a silvery colour which darkens to a more bluish to purplish tinge after capture. Maximum weight of around 40kg and 1.35m in length.

gen—the necessary information: e.g., What's the gen on that new horse?

general dog's body—1. a lowly office position in which one is assigned everything no one else wants to do. 2. a housewife.

general election—an election for all the seats in the House of Representatives and half of the seats in the Senate.

genny—generator.

gentleman convict—(hist.) a convict fitted by prior training for employment in a professional capacity. The colonies were frequently dependent upon such men for filling critical positions, particularly within government departments. Rather than having to wear a uniform, a gentleman convict with money could purchase gentleman’s clothing, and many bought their clothes with them from England.

gentoo penguinPygoscelis papua is easily recognised by the wide, white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Adult gentoos reach a height of 75cm to 90cm. In Australian territory they breed on Macquarie and Heard Islands, nesting on a wide range of ice-free surfaces. Nests are usually made from a roughly circular pile of stones, and can be quite large—20cm high and 25cm in diameter. Two eggs are laid, both weighing around 130g. The parents share incubation, changing duty daily. The eggs hatch after 34 to 36 days but the chicks remain in the nests for about 30 days before forming creches. The chicks moult into sub-adult plumage and go out to sea at about 80 to 100 days. Gentoos live mainly on crustaceans such as krill, with fish making up only about 15% of the diet. In the water, sea lions, leopard seals and orca are all predators. On land there are no predators of the full grown gentoos, but birds and cats (on Macquarie Island) have been known to steal their eggs and chicks. The gentoo is the most timid species of penguin. Although the Australian population is large, there are only two sub-populations. The species is listed as Near Threatened.

gents—public lavatory for men: e.g., He went to the gents whilst she went to the ladies.

Genyornis newtoni—a prehistoric flightless bird about the height of an ostrich. It was the last survivor of a group of large flightless birds more closely related to ducks than emus and ostriches. A relative, Dromornis stirtoni, which was three metres tall and weighed half a tonne, was probably the largest bird ever.

geo—a geologist; also known as a rock doctor.

Geordie—a Scotsman.

George Gill Range—a sandstone block running westward to Kings Canyon for about 60km from Tempe Downs Station. On its southern face are several gorges containing springs and other moist environments which harbour unique assemblages of moisture-loving species, and the top of the range supports a rich and unusual flora.

George Town—the second colony in Van Diemen's Land and Australia's oldest town, founded in 1804 as a penal settlement. The British Government established George Town to supplement the Hobart Town settlement. An expedition under the command of Lieutenant Governor Paterson landed at Outer Cove (now George Town), near the mouth of the Tamar River, bordering the Bass Strait, before establishing a settlement at York Town, on the west arm of the Tamar. York Town proved unsatisfactory and so the settlement transferred to Launceston in 1806. In 1812, Governor Lachlan Macquarie proposed that the site of George Town would be better than Launceston, and in 1816 the town was laid out. The first occupants were a military station, a female factory and a few settlers. The Bigge report of 1825 reversed Macquarie's decision to make George Town the administrative centre instead of Launceston. The anchorage and nearby bays were used by larger vessels until the port of Launceston became more developed in the late 1820s. In the 1830s George Town was an embarkation point for settlers moving to the Port Phillip district (e.g. Dutton, Henty and Batman). George Town remained a place of small settlement until the 1870s, when gold was discovered at a number of nearby places.

Georgina gidgeeAcacia georginae, a small tree of eastern Northern Territory and the Georgina River Basin in north-west Queensland; can be poisonous to stock, as various parts of the tree contain some fluoroacetate. This compound is the same as the commercial "1080" poison used against vermin.

Geoscience Australia—conducts researches into, and advises government and industry on, Australia's petroleum reserves. As the regular release of offshore acreage is a key part of the Australian Government's strategy to encourage investment in petroleum exploration, an allocation of $61 million for the 2003-2007 work program was made for the Geoscience Australia’s new and ongoing petroleum initiative.

ger on her/him!—an exclamation of scorn, disgust, contempt, amazement.

Geraldton—a seaside resort in Western Australia. The town was gazetted in 1850, and its heyday was in the 1890s, when it became the major port for the Murchison gold rushes. By the time of the First World War, Geraldton had become the major centre for the surrounding wheatbelt. It still holds this position, and is also an important centre for fishing, sheep and tourism. Located 424km north of Perth, via the Brand Highway.

Geraldton Sandplains—mainly proteaceous scrub-heaths, rich in endemics, on the sandy earths of an extensive, undulating, lateritic sandplain mantling Permian to Cretaceous strata. Extensive jam-york gum woodlands occur on outwash plains associated drainage. Semi-arid warm Mediterranean.

geri—geriatric; used by the young to describe anybody over the age of 30 or 40.

germ—despicable person.

Germaine Greer—1. internationally recognised Australian feminist author, best known for her book The Female Eunuch (1970). Born 1939, Melbourne, Victoria; graduated Melbourne University 1963 (BA, honours); Sydney 1963 (MA, first-class honours); Cambridge 1968 (PhD). 2. (rhyming slang) ear.

German band—(rhyming slang) hand.

German cake—an uniced cake topped with fruit. The German immigrants to South Australia brought their own recipes with them from Germany, and these Prussian cooking traditions and recipes were translated and modified according to local conditions in the Barossa. Many of these foods are still popular amongst the general population around South Australia. Streuselkuchen was the typical everyday cake (it's still common in South Australia, though better known as "German cake" or "crumble-top cake").

German sausage—bologna.

Gerroa—a coastal town in the Illawarra Region of New South Wales. Situated at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach and the head of Crooked River, the original village was once a popular retreat for various religious orders, and much of the land in the area is still owned by churches. In recent years, a combination of commuters, retirees and holidaymakers have seen the town grow rapidly. Its location on the southern side of a hill makes it very vulnerable to the southerlies which blow up the coast. Gerroa is located 133km south of Sydney via the Princes Highway.

get a bee in (one's) bonnet—to become obsessed with something.

get a hammering—receive a sound beating; suffer a major defeat.

get a knock-back—receive a rebuttal, refusal or set-back.

get a leg in (the door)—to initiate (something), or make slight progress.

get a lift under the ear—receive a beating or a punch in the ear, face.

get a line on—learn something about.

get a word in edgeways—get a chance to speak: e.g., When she starts speaking, you can't get a word in edgeways.

get a wriggle on—hurry up.

get an earful—1. listen to something which is incredible or disagreeable: e.g. Get an earful of this guy! 2. receive a long, boring speech: e.g., He gave me an earful at the last meeting. 3. receive a severe scolding.

get buckled—1. be arrested. 2. be beaten up, defeated in a fight.

get caught—(of women) to fall pregnant unexpectedly.

get cracking—hurry up; begin vigorously.

get done—1. be tricked, deceived, cheated or duped: e.g., You'll get done if you ask him to sell your car. 2. be defeated, beaten.

get down to tin tacks—to deal seriously with the essential points of a matter and to ignore irrelevant details.

get fobbed off—1. to put off. 2. be treated unceremoniously, rudely, in an off-handed manner.

get gravel rash—behave in a sycophantic, obsequious manner: e.g., Every time he sees the boss he gets gravel rash!

get had—(see: get done).

get hers/his/yours —1. receive a just reward, especially as the consequence of ill behaviour or dealings: e.g., That crook will get his one day! 2. be killed.

get in a flap—become flustered, confused, worried, anxious.

get in a knot—become confused, upset, over-anxious.

get in for (one's) chop—seek (one's) share, cut, or part of the action.

get in a knot—become confused, upset, over-anxious.

get into a scrap—be involved in a fight.

get into strife—get into trouble.

get it in the neck—receive a severe scolding or punishment.

get knotted!—a rude rebuff, rebe or dismissal.

get nicked—1. (as an exclamation) rude rebuff, rebe or dismissal. 2. get caught by the police or authorities in an illegal act.

get off my back Scobie!—stop nagging, annoying, harassing me! (Scobie Breasley was considered one of the best jockeys in history.)

get off (one's) bike—lose (one's) temper; lose control of (one's) emotions.

get off (one's) high horse—stop being arrogant, haughty.

get off the grass!—exclamation of disbelief, scorn.

get on like a bushfire/house on fire—get on very well with (someone); agree.

get on to—1. follow up; contact; pursue a matter: e.g., I must get on to her and have a talk about that. 2. discover; reveal: e.g. What did the beak get on to when they questioned him?

get on (one's) goat/nerves/wick/quince—annoy, irritate, anger, upset (one).

get on (one's) high horse—assume an arrogant and pompous attitude (from the game of polo, a sport for the wealthy).

get on (one's) wick/quince—annoy, irritate, anger, upset (one).

get on to—1. follow up; contact; pursue a matter: e.g., I must get on to her and have a talk about that. 2. discover; reveal: e.g., What did the beak get on to when they questioned him?

get (one's) arse in a sling—get into trouble: e.g., You'll get your arse in a sling if you keep doing things that are illegal.

get (one's) back up—become annoyed, angry, indignant.

get (one's) cogs into gear—1. think clearly on a matter. 2. begin something, such as work, a task.

get (one's) dander up—become annoyed, angry, indignant.

get (one's) ears lowered—get a haircut.

get (one's) end in—have (one's) say; voice (one's) unwanted opinion.

get (one's) fingers burnt—suffer the consequences of (one's) actions; suffer a set-back due to (one's) actions.

get (one's) gear off—get undressed.

get (one's) goat—annoy, irritate.

get (one's) hackles up—to become angry or aggressive, readied for a fight.

get (one's) Irish up—become angry or lose (one's) temper.

get (one's) just deserts—to receive punishment, consequences deserving of (one's) crimes or actions.

get (one's) licence out of a cornflakes packet—to be unskilled or incompetent.

get (one's) lumps—receive a severe beating, or deserved punishment.

get (one's) oar in—have (one's) say; voice (one's) (often unwanted) opinion.

get (one's) own back—seek revenge: e.g., He's done a lot of terrible things, but I'll get my own back one day!

get (one's) two-bob's worth—receive full value or satisfaction from.

get (one's) water cut off—receive a severe set-back, rebuff, rebe.

get rooted!—a term of abuse; rude rebuff, rebe or dismissal.

get round (someone)—1. get one's own way despite the resistance or disinclination of another. 2. charm or wheedle someone into giving or doing what had previously been denied. 3. coax or jolly someone into a co-operative frame of mind: e.g., I know he's in a bad mood but I know how to get round him.

get saddled with—have something undesired foisted upon oneself.

get set—(horse racing) place a bet in time: e.g., Did you get set in the fifth?

get shot of (someone/something)—get rid of; remove; be free of: e.g., I'd like to get shot of him.

get (someone's) back up—annoy, harass, arouse (someone's) anger, resentment.

get sprung—1. be arrested for a crime or offence. 2. be caught out, surprised by someone: e.g., He got sprung letting down the tyres on my car!

get stuck into (someone/ something)—1. begin something with enthusiasm and energy: e.g., It's time we got stuck into some gardening. 2. severely scold, berate, criticise, abuse someone: e.g., Mum's going to get stuck into you when you get home! 3. assault, beat, bash someone.

get stuffed!—(see: get rooted!).

get stung—1. become drunk, intoxicated. 2. be cheated, tricked, swindled, conned.

get sucked in—(Australian Rules football, of a team) drawn into fighting rather than playing, with the inference that it's a deliberate tactic on the part of the other side.

get the arse/axe/big A/boot/bullet/chop—be dismissed, fired, rebuffed, rejected unceremoniously or with contempt.

get the better of (oneself)—to be overcome by emotion, feeling: e.g., The sad ending in that movie got the better of me.

get the bulge on—get an advantage over.

get the digit out—stop wasting time and start work.

get the dirty end of the stick—receive an unfair, unjust, unpleasant ruling, task, deal or part to play in a situation.

get the drop on (someone)—gain an advantage over (someone); get (someone) at a disadvantage.

get the dry-horrors—suffer from extreme thirst, a dry mouth, especially after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

get the full treatment—1. receive the best service. 2. get a severe scolding, criticism or punishment: e.g., The newspapers gave him the full treatment after he was convicted.

get the good guts—receive reliable information.

get the gripes—become bad-tempered, ill-disposed, sulky.

get the horrors—become frightened; feel repulsion.

get the jack—reach the end of one's tolerance; become tired, weary of.

get the jim-jams—feel fright, repulsion, anxiety, nervousness.

get the miseries—become morose, miserable, depressed.

get the nod—gain approval, permission or assent: e.g., That proposal to build a high-rise on the beach got the nod from the Council.

get the pip—become annoyed, irritated, angry or petulant.

get the rough end of the pineapple—get the worst out of a situation; get an unfair, unsatisfactory or unpleasant deal or treatment.

get the sack—an expression from the Depression era, when a workingman carried the tools of his trade to work in a sack: if fired, he was handed his sack at the time of dismissal.

get (the) short shrift—be treated with lack of consideration, unceremoniously.

get the shunt/spear—be fired, dismissed unceremoniously.

get the trots—suffer from diarrheoa.

get the vapours—dissolve into tears; weep.

get the wind up—become frightened, alarmed, nervous, anxious, suspicious.

get up—to win, especially in horse-racing: e.g., If that horse of Harry's gets up, he'll win a fortune.

get up (someone)—severely berate, scold, abuse (someone): e.g., I'm going to really get up him for saying those awful things about me!

get up (someone's) nose—annoy, irritate (someone) intensely: e.g., Those pollies really get up my nose with their broken promises.

get uppity—become annoyed, angry, irritated or indignant.

get what-for—be punished.

get wise with (someone)—be cheeky, impertinent to (someone).

get-at-able—attainable; accessible.

get-go—at or from the start of (something): e.g., I just new she was the one from the get-go.

getting a fair whack—being well paid.

getting too close to the bone—1. becoming indecent, lewd, profane. 2. becoming embarrassingly truthful or indelicate.

Back Next →