Austral English Part 256

1889. Major Wilson and Edward Tregear, `On the Korotangi,'

`Transactions of New Zealand Inst.i.tute,' vol. xxii. art. lxii.

p. 505:

"Many famous tribal heirlooms are hidden and lost to posterity.

The Rev. Mr. Buller mentions a famous taiaha, of great mana, as having been buried and lost in this way, lest it should fall into the power of opposing tribes, and cause disaster to the original owner."

Taihoa, Maori phrase, meaning "Wait a bit."

Much used in some circles in New Zealand. The `Standard'

gives it wrongly as "Anglo-Tasmanian," probably because Mr. Wade's book was published in Hobart.

1842. W. R. Wade, `Journey in New Zealand' (Hobart Town), p.66:

"`Taihoa.' This word has been translated, By and by; but in truth, it has all the lat.i.tude of directly,--presently, --by and by,--a long time hence,--and n.o.body knows when ...

the deliberate reply is, `Taihoa'... this patience-trying word... ."

1881. J. L. Campbell, `Poenamo,' p. 87:

"That irritatingly provoking word, `taihoa.'"

[p. 88]: "The drawled-out t-a-i-h-o-a fell upon the ear."

[p. 266] [t.i.tle of chapter]: "I learn what Taihoa means."

[p.271]: "Great is the power of taihoa."

[p. 276]: "The imperturbable taihoa, given to us with the ordinary placid good-humour."

Tail, v. tr. to herd and tend sheep or cattle: lit. to follow close behind the tail.

1844. `Port Phillip Patriot,' Aug. 5, p. 3, col. 6:

"I know many boys, from the age of nine to sixteen years, tailing cattle."

1855. G. C. Mundy, `Our Antipodes,' p. 153:

"The stockman, as he who tends cattle and horses is called, despises the shepherd as a grovelling, inferior creature, and considers `tailing sheep' as an employment too tardigrade for a man of action and spirit."

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xix. p. 239:

"`The cattle,' no longer `tailed,' or followed daily, as a shepherd does sheep."

Tailing, adj. consisting of tailings (q.v.).

1890. `Goldfields of Victoria,' p. 21:

"From recent a.s.says of the tailing-sand, scarcely one quarter of the pyrites has been extracted."

Tailings, n. "The detritus carried off by water from a crushing machine, or any gold-washing apparatus."

(Brough Smyth, `Glossary of Mining Terms.') Not limited to Australia.

1891. `The Argus,' June 16, p. 6, col. 2:

"A hundred and fifty tons of tailings are treated at the Sandhurst pyrites works every month."

Tailor, n. name given in New South Wales to the fish Temnodon saltator, Cuv. and Val. It is called Skipjack (q.v.) in Melbourne, a name by which it is also known in America and Britain. Those of large size are called "Sea-tailors." It belongs to the family Carangidae, or Horse-Mackerels (q.v.).

Taipo, n. a New Zealand word for devil, often applied by settlers to a vicious horse or as a name for a dog.

There is a dangerous river, the Taipo, on the west coast.

There is considerable dispute as to whether the word is true Maori or not. The Rev. T. G. Hammond of Patea says--

"No such Maori word as taipo, meaning devil, exists. It would mean evening-tide--tai-po. Probably the early sailors introduced attached meaning of devil from the Maori saying, `Are you not afraid to travel at night?' referring to the danger of tidal rivers."

On the other hand, Mr. Tregear says, in his `Maori Comparative Dictionary,' s.v.--

"Taepo, a goblin, a spectre. Cf. tae, to arrive; po, night."

The Rev. W. Colenso says, in his pamphlet on `Nomenclature'

(1883), p. 5:

"Taepo means to visit or come by night,--a night visitant,--a spectral thing seen in dreams,--a fancied and feared thing, or hobgoblin, of the night or darkness; and this the settlers have construed to mean the Devil!--and of course their own orthodox one."

Taipo or taepo is also a slang term for a surveyor's theodolite among the Maoris, because it is the "land-stealing devil."

1848. Rev. R. Taylor, `Leaf from the Natural History of New Zealand,' p. 43:

"Taipo, female dreamer; a prophetess; an evil spirit."

1855. Rev. R. Taylor, `Te Ika a Maui,' p. 49:

"There is the Taringa-here, a being with a face like a cat; and likewise another, called a Taipo, who comes in the night, sits on the tops of houses, and converses with the inmates, but if a woman presumes to open her mouth, it immediately disappears."

1878. B. Wells, `History of Taranaki,' p. 3:

"The similarity in sound and meaning of the Egyptian word typhon with that of the Maori taipo, both being the name of the Spirit of Evil, is also not a little remarkable."

[Ingenious, but worthless.]

1886. T. H. Potts, `Out in the Open,' `New Zealand Country journal,' vol. x. p. 262:

"His wife became seriously affected, declaring that Taipo had entered into her. Reasoning was wholly useless. She declared that Taipo was in the smoke of the wood, which smoke she had inhaled; soon she became prostrated by illness and was expected to die."

1887. J. C. Crawford, `Travels in New Zealand and Australia,' p. 107:

"After dinner Watkins requested the loan of a tomahawk to defend himself on going up to the Pa on the hill above.

He said he knew that there was a taipo (devil) about; he felt it in his head."

1888. P. W. Barlow, `Kaipara,' p. 48: