Austral English Part 268

"Men had to cleave out a way for themselves with tomahawks."

1888. A. Reischek, in Buller's `Birds of New Zealand,' vol. ii.

p. 94:

"The snow had been blown together, and was frozen so hard that I had to take my tomahawk to chop it down so as to get softer snow to refresh myself with a wash."

Tomahawk, v. tr. to cut sheep when shearing them.

1859. H. Kingsley, `Geoffrey Hamlyn,' p. 147:

"Shearers were very scarce, and the poor sheep got fearfully `tomahawked' by the new hands."

1872. C. H. Eden, `My Wife and I in Queensland,' p. 96:

"Some men never get the better of this habit, but `tomahawk'

as badly after years of practice as when they first began."

1896. A. B. Paterson, `Man from Snowy River,' p. 162:

"The Shearers sat in the firelight, hearty and hale and strong, After the hard day's shearing, pa.s.sing the joke along The `ringer' that sh.o.r.e a hundred, as they never were shorn before, And the novice who toiling bravely had tommyhawked half a score."

Tommy-axe, n. a popular corruption of the word Tomahawk (q.v.); it is an instance of the law of Hobson-Jobson.

Tom Russell's Mahogany. See Mahogany.

Tomt.i.t, n. name applied in New Zealand to two New Zealand birds of the genus Myiomoira, the species being M. toitoi, Garnot, in North Island; M. macrocephala, Gmel., in South Island.

1888. W. L. Buller, `Birds of New Zealand,' vol. i. p. 39:

[A full description.]

Tonquin Bean-Tree, n. a Tasmanian variety of Native Sandalwood; also called Tonga Beanwood.

1862. W. Archer, `Products and Resources of Tasmania,' p. 41:

"`Tonga Bean-wood (Alyxia buxifolia, Br.). The odour is similar to that of the Tonga Bean (Dipteryx odorata). A straggling seaside shrub, three to five inches in diameter."

Tooart, or Tewart, n. a West Australian name for Eucalyptus gomphocephala, or White Gum. See Gum.

1870. T. H. Braim, `New Homes,' c. iv. p. 181:

`Another valuable tree is the tooart, a kind of white gum."

1875. T. Laslett, `Timber and Timber Trees,' p. 187:

"The Tewart Tree (Eucalyptus), a variety of the White Gum, found princ.i.p.ally in the Swan River and King George's Sound District of Western Australia... . Of straight growth and n.o.ble dimensions. The wood is of a yellowish or straw colour, hard, heavy, tough, strong and rigid... . It is used in ship-building for beams, keelsons, stern-posts, engine-bearers, and for other works below the line of flotation."

Tookytook, n. a corruption of Kotukutuku (q.v.), a Maori name equivalent to Konini, the fruit of the Fuchsia-tree (q.v.).

Toot, n. the anglicised spelling of the Maori word Tutu (q.v.).

Tooted, quasi past participle from Toot.

The cattle are tooted, sc. poisoned by the Toot.

1863. G. Butler, `Canterbury Settlement,' p. 98:

"As, then, my bullocks could not get tuted."

1891. T. H. Potts, `New Zealand Country Journal,' p. 201:

"His hearty salutation in its faultiness proved to be about on a par with `rummy-rum,' `triddy' and `toot.' The last word reminds me of a man near by who was even judged to be somewhat vain of his Maori accent and p.r.o.nunciation. With one word he was indeed very particular, he could not bring himself to use that manifest corruption `toot.' With him it was ever `tutu.'

He had to make rather a boggle or dodge of it when he used the colonial made verb formed on his favourite Maori noun."

Tooth-sh.e.l.l, n. The name is applied, in Europe, to any species of Dentalium and allied genera having a tooth-shaped sh.e.l.l. In Australia, it is the sh.e.l.l of Marinula pellucida, Cooper, a small marine mollusc used for necklaces.

Tope, n. an Australasian Shark, Galeus australis, Macl. It differs somewhat from Galeus canis, the Tope of Britain. Called also the School-Shark, in Australia.

Top-knot Pigeon, n. an Australian bird, Lopholaimus antarcticus, Shaw.

1891. Francis Adams, `John Webb's End,' p. 33:

"Flying for a moment beside a lovely, melodious top-knot pigeon."

Torea, n. Maori name for all the New Zealand species of the Oyster-catchers (q.v.).

Torpedo, n. a fish, well known elsewhere, and also called elsewhere, the Numb-fish and Cramp fish. For the Australian species, see quotation.

1882. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Fish of New South Wales,'

p. 100:

"Our Torpedo or Electric Ray is Hypnos subnigrum, that of Tasmania is Narcine Tasmaniensis."

Torres-Straits Pigeon, n. See quotation.

1893. Saville Kent, `Great Barrier Reef,' p. 123:

"Making a bag of the famous Torres Straits pigeons (Myristicivora spilorrhoa), a large white variety, highly esteemed for the table, which, arriving from the north [that is New Guinea], is distributed from October until the end of March throughout the tree-bearing islets and mainland coast, as far south as Keppel Bay."

Tortoise-sh.e.l.l Fish. See Hand-fish.

Totara, n. Maori name for a lofty-spreading New Zealand tree, Podocarpus totara, A. Cunn., N.O. Coniferae,. In Maori, the accent falls on the first syllable; but in English use it is often placed on the second, and from Mr. Polack's spelling it must have been so as early as 1840. Called also Mahogany-pine.

There are several other species, e.g. P. vivalis, Hook., the Mountain Totara; called also Mahogany Pine.

See Mahogany, and Pine.

1832. G. Bennett, in Lambert's `Genus Pinus,' vol. ii. p. 190:

"This is an unpublished species of Podocarpus, called Totara by the natives... . The value placed on this tree by the natives is sometimes the occasion of quarrels, terminating in bloodshed, if it is cut down by any except the party by whom it is claimed... It is not unusual for the trees to descend from father to son."

1840. J. S. Polack, `Manners and Customs of New Zealanders,'