Thanks Thanks:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 59
  1. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    melbourne
    Age
    67
    Posts
    939

    Default

    The first convicts in Australia were called POME Prisoners of Mother England. After a while it was realized that they had escaped and the rest of the poor bastards that were left behind were POME. Thats why they are called pommie bastards.

  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Age
    2010
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    1,652

    Default

    I've always understood the term "cramp" somewhat differently than any of the previous explanations.

    A cramp is any device that permanently holds two pieces of timber or stone together. Used in early timber bridge construction, a iron cramp was installed around two structural pieces of timber to prevent them from moving apart under load. The term cramp means to restrict. In this case, the timber is restricted by the cramp. In fact, a clamp was used to draw the two components together, the cramp was installed, then the clamp was removed leaving the cramp to do its job.

    This explanation seems to fit with Soundman’s definition best.

  4. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Australia and France
    Posts
    8,175

    Default

    'Seppo'
    Ohhhhhh Dear!!! What another fine mess I've gotten myself into!

    I guess it was my crime, so I'd better do the time!!

    Greg, Greg, Greg. . . . you really weren't supposed to ask, and while it is not really a derogatory term, it could easily be mistaken for same by any of your countrymen who were not on the same laconic wavelength as those "in the know".

    (How am I going so far fellas?)

    It's a bit like the word "Shiela" you see, whilst perhaps not the most cultured term for "woman" is certainly not seen as offensive (actually a term of endearment in some quarters)...unless of course you call a bloke a shiela, in which case you deserve what you get...

    Haven't got far have I....

    Well you see back in the "Old Country" as England is known to a generation of Australians, there is/was a particular community known as the Cockney. Now not all Cockney citizens were honest and forthright apparently, which resulted in a few of them arriving in Australia with the first settlers at what was colloquially known as "His Majesty's Pleasure". Cockney's had their own accent and oratory habits, among them was what is known as Rhyming Slang.

    In this genre of speech, a "ROAD" for instance was called a "FROG AND TOAD"; children, or "KIDS" became "BILLY LIDS" and so on.

    Of course we are never satisfied with just one level of corruption of the language, so with the passage of time, the rhyming bits became far more cryptic.

    A Hotel Saloon (as you would call them, Greg) was known as a Public Bar, which was contracted to Pub, which of course rhymes with Tub, a word which features in the Nursery Rhyme "Rubbety Dub Three Men in a Tub" from that you can see it was only a matter of time before "PUB" became "RUBBETY DUB" and eventually "RUBBETY".

    Get it? In this form of speech "Rubbety" rhymes with "Hotel" ----SIMPLE!!!

    If I'm not keeping you up I'll give you another example....If someone has had a bad day they may say they've had a dead-set "BAZZER".

    How is this so?

    Bazzer is a contraction of the word Barry, which is the Christian name of a well known middle-of-the-road entertainer here; Barry Crocker, now Crocker rhymes with shocker, which of course is a way of describing a bad time. "LOUSY TIME" = "BAZZER"

    Still with me?

    Good, because that, dear Greg, is how Americans have come to be known as "Seppos" (Pronounced sep-owze).

    Hope that helps~!


    Respectfully,

    P

  5. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Kyabram
    Age
    45
    Posts
    969

    Default

    And in following in the "with all due respect" theme set down by Biting, I'll go the last 5 yards and point out that 'seppo' is short for septic tank, which (unfortunatly) rhyms with 'yank', which, I'm guessing is short for yanky.

    Hope your not offended.

    Ben.

  6. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    .
    Posts
    10,482

    Default Real reason for POMY Bastard

    The real reason is because, way back in 1845 there was an English baker from Yorkshire who still had his thick accent.
    He was sent to Australia for stealing some jam to go with his bread, he already had the butter.
    Every morning he would go to fire up the bakery, but his first task was always to put on his Eeepron ( apron, remember he has a thick Yorkshire accent ).
    Day after day, month after month, first thing, put on the Eeepron.
    As time went by he was released from goal, and started his own business, his business became more and more successful, so he finaly decided to get an apprentice.
    On the first day of his new job the boss gave the apprentice a brand new Eeepron all of his own.
    The baker also gave these stern words of warning to go with the new Eeepron.
    Dont ever, ever, :mad: Put On MY Eeepron, Bastard. :mad:
    So, as you can see this would scare any new apprentice half to death, and so with time it has stuck.

    Cheers, Al Dickens

    Disclaimer
    "There were no small children used in this reenactment"

  7. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Australia and France
    Posts
    8,175

    Default Yank

    Remember that "Yank" in Australia is a generic and in fact ubiquitous term of endearment for all Americans and does not in any way reflect a political or other leaning as the term "Yankee" may in the US. Just one of those things that would be easy to misinterpret from over there, as indeed would the term Seppo, if you weren't among your mates!

    So there we have it: American/Yank/SepticTank/Septic/Seppo.

    Continuing in the explanitory (certainly non-apologetic) mode: The term we use to describe Australia (OZ) has little more to do with the Wonderful land in which the Wizard lived than the relationship outlined above (admittedly the juxtaposition does have more congenial undertones!).

    Australia is contracted to 'AUS' pronounced "oz" (not "oss") hence a very simple metamorphis to Oz: the land downunder!!

    AHhhhhhhhhhh I feel better now!!

    Cheers,

    P

  8. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Perth, WA
    Age
    76
    Posts
    2,078

    Default

    Midge - well done, mate! Absolutely brilliant piece of exposition, worthy of Sir Humphrey Appleby. You delivered loads of learned explanation and never got to the point. Superb!

    Ben - now you've done it! The poor bloke's going to wake up in the morning -full of eager anticipation - log in to the BB and discover a reason to be glad he's 16,000 km away (or even 10,000 miles).

    Al - I've never believed that Prisoner Of Mother England story. At last - the real explanation!

    Greenies all round. (Sorry, Al - can't hand you another greeny yet without spreading a few more about: IOU a G).

    Greg: Is all this giving you any useful insights into Aussie / US relations (along the lines of 'two nations, separated by a common language')?

    Col

  9. #23
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    .
    Posts
    10,482

    Default

    Midge, send me your address so I can send you a shovel.


    Al

  10. #24
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Australia and France
    Posts
    8,175

    Default

    Midge, send me your address so I can send you a shovel.
    Thanks for the offer Al, I'm pretty tall, and I'm wearing chest-high waders, so if I don't move too fast I can pretty much stay out of trouble....hopefully I'll give this all a break tomorrow and it will recede!!!



    Cheers,

    P

  11. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    .
    Posts
    10,482

    Default The real reason for the term Seppo

    The real reason for the term Seppo, is because it was the name one of the Marx brothers, Seppo Marx.
    Seppo the unknown as he was know, came to live in Oz. He gave up on the idea of film makeing, and migrated with his family.
    His brothers shunned him because he didnt want to do films, so he became the forgoton Marx brother.
    Of course being a Yank, he stood out in a crowd, everyone would say, "look there goes Seppo".
    After so many years it is now just common pratice to call all Yanks Seppo's, because everyone loved Seppo so much.

    Cheers, Al

    Biting, you owe me.

  12. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Australia and France
    Posts
    8,175

    Default

    Biting, you owe me.
    BIG TIME

    (But first I've got to spread some love around!)

    P

  13. #27
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    melbourne
    Age
    67
    Posts
    939

    Default

    I heard a different reason given for the derivation term septic. You only have to look at President Bush, what is he full off?

    Sorry meant to be funny not offensive.

  14. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    .
    Posts
    10,482

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by glenn k
    I heard a different reason given for the derivation term septic. You only have to look at President Bush, what is he full off?

    Sorry meant to be funny not offensive.
    Johnny Howard?

    Al

  15. #29
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    5,014

    Default

    Midge,
    Nice recovery. I'm impressed. The inside double twist with pike was an absolute classic. I'm going to give it 9.5

    Al, you crack me up.

  16. #30
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Michigan, USA
    Age
    75
    Posts
    7

    Default Not sure what I've learned, yet.

    Quote Originally Posted by glenn k
    I heard a different reason given for the derivation term septic. You only have to look at President Bush, what is he full off?

    Sorry meant to be funny not offensive.
    Glenn,

    This Yank's not offended. Since I live in Michigan I guess I am a Yankee as well, although not a Yankee fan in the baseball sense. I want to thank you all for the explanations. I am not sure what I've learned but I'll now have several frames of reference and I will use the context in which the terms are used to lead me to the best applicable origin. Isn't it great that the same term can have positive or negative connotations depending on context?

    Many years ago, I came to know an absolutely wonderful lady (sheila?) from OZ. She had these great expressions that kept all my friends and me straining to keep up, but we mostly loved her for her honesty and her humanity. I am sure these are not necessarily universal Aussie traits but, over the years, everyone of your countrymen I have ever met have been the type of folks I would like to have for friends. Or better yet, mates.

    Thanks again. I may be back for more help as I follow your threads.

    Greg

Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •