Austral English Part 92

"A gin (the aboriginal for a married woman)."

1846. C. P. Hodgson, `Reminiscences of Australia,' p. 367:

"Gin, the term applied to the native female blacks; not from any attachment to the spirit of that name, but from some (to me) unknown derivation."

1846. J. L. Stokes, `Discovery in Australia,' vol. I. c. iv.

p. 74:

"Though very anxious to ... carry off one of their `gins,'

or wives ... he yet evidently holds these north men in great dread."

1847. J. D. Lang, `Cooksland,'p. 126, n.:

"When their fire-stick has been extinguished, as is sometimes the case, for their jins or vestal virgins, who have charge of the fire, are not always sufficiently vigilant."

1852. G. C. Mundy, `Our Antipodes' (edition 1855), p. 98:

"Gins--native women--from gune, mulier, evidently!"

1864. J. Rogers, `New Rush,' pt. 2, p. 46:

"The females would be comely looking gins, Were not their limbs so much like rolling-pins."

1865. S. Bennett, `Australian Discovery,' p. 250:

"Gin or gun, a woman. Greek gunae and derivative words in English, such as generate, generation, and the like."

1872. C. H. Eden, `MY Wife and I in Queensland,' p. 118:

"The gins are captives of their bow and spear, and are brought home before the captor on his saddle. This seems the orthodox way of wooing the coy forest maidens... . All blacks are cruel to their gins."

1880. J. Brunton Stephens, `Poems' [t.i.tle]:

"To a black gin."

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 23:

"Certain stout young gins or lubras, set apart for the purpose, were sacrificed."

Ginger, Native, n. an Australian tree, Alpinia caerulea, Benth., N.O. Scitamineae.

The globular fruit is eaten by the natives.

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 296:

"Fresh green leaves, especially of the so-called native ginger (Alpinia caerulea)."

Give Best, v. Australian slang, meaning to acknowledge superiority, or to give up trying at anything.

1883. Keighley, `Who are You?' p. 87:

"But then--the fact had better be confessed, I went to work and gave the schooling best."

1887. J. Farrell, `How he Died,' p. 80:

"Charley gave life best and died of grief."

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. xviii. p. 174:

"It's not like an Englishman to jack up and give these fellows best."

Globe-fish, n. name given to the fish Tetrodon hamiltoni, Richards., family Gymnodontes. The Spiny Globe-fish is Diodon. These are also called Toad-fish (q.v.), and Porcupine-fish (q.v.). The name is applied to other fish elsewhere.

Glory Flower, or Glory Pea, i.q. Clianthus (q.v.).

Glory Pea, i.q. Clianthus (q.v.).

Glucking-bird, n. a bird so named by Leichhardt, but not identified. Probably the b.o.o.book (q.v.), and see its quotation 1827; see also under Mopoke quotation, Owl, 1846.

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 23:

"The musical note of an unknown bird, sounding like `gluck gluck' frequently repeated, and ending in a shake ... are heard from the neighbourhood of the scrub."

Ibid. p. 29:

"The glucking bird--by which name, in consequence of its note, the bird may be distinguished--was heard through the night."

Ibid. p. 47:

"The glucking-bird and the barking owl were heard throughout the moonlight nights."

Ibid. pp. 398, 399:

"During the night, we heard the well-known note of what we called the `Glucking bird,' when we first met with it in the Cypress-pine country at the early part of our expedition. Its re-appearance with the Cypress-pine corroborated my supposition, that the bird lived on the seeds of that tree."

Glue-pot, n. part of a road so bad that the coach or buggy sticks in it.

1892. `Daily News,' London (exact date lost):

"The Bishop of Manchester [Dr. Moorhouse, formerly Bishop of Melbourne], whose authority on missionary subjects will not be disputed, a.s.sures us that no one can possibly understand the difficulties and the troubles attendant upon the work of a Colonial bishop or clergyman until he has driven across almost pathless wastes or through almost inaccessible forests, has struggled through what they used to call `glue-pots,' until he has been shaken to pieces by `corduroy roads,' and has been in the midst of forests with the branches of trees falling around on all sides, knowing full well that if one fell upon him he would be killed."

Goai, n. common name in southern island of New Zealand for Kowhai (q.v.), of which it is a corruption.

It is especially used of the timber of this tree, which is valuable for fencing. The change from K to G also took place in the name Otago, formerly spelt Otakou.

1860. John Blair, `New Zealand for Me,':

"The land of the goai tree, mapu, and pine, The stately totara, and blooming wild vine."

1863. S. Butler, `First Year in Canterbury Settlement,' p. 104: