Austral English Part 242

Spiny-Lizard, n. i.q. Mountain Devil (q.v.).

Split-stuff, n. timber sawn into lengths and then split.

1852. Mrs. Meredith, `My Home in Tasmania,' vol. i. p. 159:

"`Sawed stuff' and `split stuff,' by which is meant timber which is sawn into regular forms and thicknesses, as flooring boards, joints, battens, &c., and that which is split into `posts and rails,' slabs, or paling. Some of the species of eucalyptus, or gum-trees, are peculiarly adapted for splitting. The peppermint-tree (Eucalyptus piperita) and the `Stringy Bark' are remarkable for the perfectly straight grain which they often exhibit, and are split with surprising evenness and regularity into paling and boards for `weather-boarding' houses and other purposes, in lengths of six or eight feet by one foot wide, and half or one-third of an inch thick... . Any curve in a tree renders it unfit for splitting, but the crooked- grained wood is best for sawing... . All houses in the colony, with few exceptions, are roofed with split shingles."

Splitter, n. a wood-cutter, cutting timber in the bush, and splitting it into posts and rails, palings or shingles. See quotation under Split-stuff.

1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 105:

"There were two splitters located near us ... they had a licence to split timber on the crown lands."

1870. A. L. Gordon, `Bush Ballads--Wolf and Hound,' p. 32:

"At the splitter's tent I had seen the track Of horse hoofs, fresh on the sward."

Spoonbill, n. a bird-name widely used.

The Australian species are--

Royal Spoonbill-- Platalea regia.

Yellow-billed S.-- P. flavipes.

P. regia has a fine crest in the breeding season; hence the name.

1863. M. K. Beveridge, `Gatherings among Gum-trees,' p. 79:

"The sun is sinking in the western sky, And ibises and spoonbills thither fly.

Spotted-tree. Same as Leopard-tree (q.v.).

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 216:

"Spotted or Leopard Tree. The gum from this tree forms good adhesive mucilage. It reminds one strongly of East-India gum-arabic of good quality. During the summer months large ma.s.ses, of a clear amber-colour, exude from the stem and branches. It has a very pleasant taste, is eaten by the aboriginals, and forms a very common bushman's remedy in diarrhoea."

Spotted-Orchis, n. Tasmanian name for the Orchid Dipodium punctatum, R. Br.

Spotting, n. New Zealand equivalent for the Australian "picking the eyes out," and "peac.o.c.king." Under Free-selection (q.v.), the squatter spotted his run, purchasing choice spots.

Spotty, n. a New Zealand fish, a Wra.s.s, Labrichthys bothryocosmus, Richards.; also called Poddly (q.v.), and Kelp-fish (q.v.).

1878. P. Thomson, `Transactions of New Zealand Inst.i.tute,'

vol. xi. art. lii. p. 384:

"Wra.s.se, parrot-fish, and spotties are often in the market.

There are two kinds of spotties, a big and a little. The wra.s.se and the parrot-fish are mostly caught outside amongst the kelp, and these, with the spotty, are indiscriminately called kelp-fish by the fishermen."

Sprag, n. In gold-mining. See quotation.

The word is used in England, applied to coal-mining.

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. iii. p. 23:

"A `sprag,' being a stout piece of hard wood, was inserted between the rope and the iron roller on which the rope ran."

Squat, v. to be a squatter (q.v.) in any of the senses of that word.

1846. Feb. 11, `Speech by Rev. J. D. Lang,' quoted in `Phillipsland,' p. 410:

In whatever direction one moves out of Melbourne, whether north, east, or west, all he sees or hears is merely a repet.i.tion of this colonial note--`I squat, thou squattest, he squats; we squat, ye or you squat, they squat.'...

Exeunt omnes. `They are all gone out a-squatting.'"

1846. T. H. Braim, `History of New South Wales,' vol. i.

p. 236:

"The regulations ... put an end to squatting within the boundaries of location, and reduced it to a system without the boundaries."

1852. G. C. Mundy, `Our Antipodes' (edition 1855), p. 136:

"The Speaker squats equally and alternately on the woolsack of the House and at his wool-stations on the Murrumbidgee. One may squat on a large or small scale, squat directly or indirectly, squat in person or by proxy."

1854. W. Golder, `Pigeons' Parliament,' p. 68:

"Some spot, Found here and there, where cotters squat With self-permission."

1861. T. McCombie, `Australian Sketches,' p. 119:

"Squatting, in its first phase, was confined to the region round about Sydney; it was not until the pa.s.s through the Blue Mountains was discovered that the flocks and herds of the colonists began to expand."

Squattage, n. a squatter's station.

The word can hardly be said to have prevailed.

1864. W. Westgarth, `Colony of Victoria,' p. 272:

"The great Riverine district, which is one vast series of squattages ... the toil and solitude of a day's journey between the homesteads of adjacent squattages."

Squatter, n. (1) One who squats; that is, settles on land without a t.i.tle or licence. This is an English use.

1835. T. A. Murray (Evidence before Legislative Council of New South Wales on Police and Gaols):

"There are several parties of squatters in my neighbourhood.

I detected, not long since, three men at one of their stations in the act of slaughtering one of my own cattle. I have strong reason to suspect that these people are, in general, illicit sellers of spirits."

1835. W. H. Dutton (Evidence before same Committee):

"These persons (squatters) are almost invariably the instigators and promoters of crime, receivers of stolen property, illegal vendors of spirits, and harbourers of runaways, bushrangers, and vagrants."

1843. Rev. W. Pridden, `Australia Its History and Present Condition,' pp. 332-3: