Austral English Part 257

"They were making the noises I heard to drive away the `Taipo,'

a sort of devil who devotes his attention exclusively to Maoris, over whom, however, he only possesses power at night."

1891. W. H. Roberts, `Southland in 1856,' p. 72:

"They believed it was the princ.i.p.al rendez-vous of the fallen angel (Taipo) himself."

1896. Modern. Private Letter (May):

"Taipo, for instance, of course one knows its meaning, though it has been adopted chiefly as a name as common as `Dash' or `Nero' for New Zealand dogs; all the same the writers upon Maori superst.i.tions seem to have no knowledge of it.

Polach, Dieffenbach, Nicholas, Yates, call their evil spirits whiros or atuas. Tepo, the place of darkness, is the nearest they have come to it. I think myself it is South Island Maori, often differing a little in spelling and use; and so very much the larger proportion of New Zealand literature is the literature of the North."

Tait, n. a Western Australian animal, properly called the Long-snouted Phalanger, Tarsipes rostratus, the only species of its genus. See Phalanger and Opossum. It is about the size of a mouse, and lives almost entirely on honey, which it extracts from flowers.

1894. R. Lydekker, `Marsupialia,' p. 120:

"The Long-snouted Phalanger, which derives its scientific name from a certain resemblance of its hind feet to those of a Malayan Lemur-like animal known as the Tarsier, is one of the most interesting of the phalangers... . Known to the natives by the names of Tait and Nulbenger, it is, writes Gould, `generally found in all situations suited to its existence, from Swan River to King George's Sound.'"

Takahe, n. Maori name for an extinct New Zealand Rail, Notornis mantelli, Owen.

See Notornis.

1889. Prof. Parker, 'Catalogue of New Zealand Exhibition,'

p. 116:

"The Takahe is the rarest of existing native birds, if indeed it is not already extinct."

Takapu, n. Maori name for the bird Dysporus serrator, Banks, a Gannet (q.v.).

Take (a man) down, Australian sporting slang. (1) To induce a man to bet, knowing that he must lose. (2) To advise a man to bet, and then to "arrange" with an accomplice (a jockey, e.g.) for the bet to be lost. (3) To prove superior to a man in a game of skill.

1895. `The Argus,' Dec. 5, p. 5, col. 2:

"It appeared that [the plaintiff] had a particular fancy for a [certain] horse, and in an evil hour induced [the defendant] to lay him a wager about this animal at the long odds of two shillings to threepence. When the horse had romped triumphantly home and [the plaintiff] went to collect his two shillings [the defendant] accused him of having `taken him down,' stigmatised him as a thief and a robber, and further remarked that [the plaintiff] had the telegram announcing the result of the race in his pocket when the wager was made, and in short refused to give [the plaintiff] anything but a black eye."

Talegalla, n. aboriginal name for the Brush-Turkey, and the scientific name for that bird, viz., Talegalla lathami, Gray. See Turkey.

Tallow-wood, n. another name for one of the Stringy-barks (q.v.), Eucalyptus microcorys, F. v. M., N.O. Myrtaceae. The timber, which is hard, gives forth an oily substance: hence the name. The tree reaches a great height. Also called Turpentine-tree (q.v.). See also Peppermint.

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 493:

"In Queensland it is known as `Peppermint,' the foliage being remarkably rich in volatile oil. But its almost universal name is Tallow-wood. North of Port Jackson it bears the name of `Turpentine Tree' and `Forest Mahogany.' The aboriginals of the Brisbane River, Queensland, call it `tee.'"

Ibid. p. 494:

"Tallow-wood.--Used ... for flooring, e.g. in ball-rooms; for this purpose it is selected on account of its greasy nature. This greasiness is most marked when it is fresh cut.

(General Report, Sydney International Exhibition, 1879.)"

1897. `The Argus,' Feb. 22, p. 5, col. 4 (Cable message from London):

"Mr. Richards stated that the New South Wales black b.u.t.t and tallow wood were the most durable and noiseless woods for street-paving."

Tallygalone, n. a fish of New South Wales, Myxus elongatus, Gunth., a genus of the family Mugilidae, or Grey-Mullet. The word is also spelled talleygalann, and tallagallan.

Also called Sand-Mullet.

Tamarind-Tree, name given to Diploglottis cunninghamii, Hook., N.O. Sapindaceae; called also Native Tamarind. "A tall tree. The flesh of the fruit is amber and of delightful acid flavour." (Bailey.)

Tambaroora, n. a Queensland game. More generally known as "A shilling in and the winner shouts."

From a town in Queensland.

1882. A. J. Boyd, `Old Colonials,' p. 63:

"The exciting game of tambaroora ... Each man of a party throws a shilling, or whatever sum may be mutually agreed upon, into a hat. Dice are then produced, and each man takes three throws. The Nut who throws highest keeps the whole of the subscribed capital, and out of it pays for the drinks of the rest."

Tamure, n. the Maori name for the New Zealand Schnapper fish (q.v.).

1820. `Grammar and Vocabulary of Language of New Zealand'

(Church Missionary Society), p. 206:

"Tamure s. Bream fish."

1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' vol. i.

p. 93:

"There are many other sorts of fish, including the tamure, or snapper, the manga, or barracouta, the mango, or dog-fish, of which the natives catch large quant.i.ties, and the hapuka. This last fish is caught in pretty deep water, near reefs and rocks.

It often attains a great size, attaining as much as 112 pounds.

It bears a considerable resemblance to the cod in form, but is, however, of far finer flavour."

1855. Rev. R. Taylor, `Te Ika a Maui,' p. 413:

"Tamure, kouarea (the snapper), is a large fish like the bream."

1879. W. Colenso, `Transactions of New Zealand Inst.i.tute,'

vol. xii. art. vii. p. 118:

"The tamure is the snapper (Pagrus unicolor), a common fish on all the coasts."

Tandan, n. the aboriginal name for the Catfish (q.v.) or Eel-fish (q.v.), Copidoglanis tanda.n.u.s, Mitch.e.l.l (or Plotosus tanda.n.u.s). Mitch.e.l.l, who first discovered and described the Cat-fish, called it the Tandan, or Eel-fish.

1838. T. Mitch.e.l.l, `Three Expeditions,' pp. 44, 45, pl. 5:

"In this piece of water we caught some small fish, two of them being of a rather singular kind, resembling an eel in the head and shape of the tail."

[p. 45]: "On my return to the camp in the evening, I made a drawing of the eel fish which we had caught early in the day (fig. 2, pl. 5)."

Tanekaha, n. Maori name of a New Zealand tree; also called Celery-topped Pine, Phyllocladus trichomanoides, Don., N.O. Coniferae.

1875. T. Laslett, `Timber and Timber Trees,' p. 306:

"The Tanakaha Tree (Podocarpus asplenifolius) is found scattered over a large portion of the northern island of New Zealand... Height, sixty to eighty feet... The wood is close and straight in the grain... It works up well, is tough and very strong; so much so that the New Zealanders say it is the `strong man' among their forest trees."