The Great Australian Adjective

W T GOODGE

How confusing is the Australian slanguage where a bastard can be a good bastard, rotten bastard, filthy bastard, luck bastard, generous bastard, mean bastard - or a thousand other categories of bastard. The same can be said of how we use the word ‘bloody’ and this poem was a firm favourite of our army diggers who used it liberally to remind them of home and country.

The sunburnt___stockman stood
And in a dismal___mood,
Apostrophized his ___cuddy;
"The___nag's no___good,
He couldn't earn his___ food
A regular___brumby,
____!"

He jumped across the___horse
And cantered off, of___course!
The roads were bad and ___muddy;
Said he, "Well, spare me___days
The___Government's ___ ways
Are screamin' ___funny,
____!"

He rode up hill, down___dale,
The wind it blew a___gale,
The creek was high and___floody.
Said he, "The___horse must swim,
The same for___me and him,
Is something__ sickenin',
___!"

He plunged into the___creek,
The___horse was___weak,
The stockman's face a___study!
And though the___horse was drowned
The___rider reached the ground
Ejaculating, "___?"
"___!"

IN THIS SECTION:

• Introduction
• Index
• Bail Up
• Hard Yakka
• The Demon Drink
• Bush Life Bush Strife
• Freedom on the Wallaby
• Horses, Dogs and Dags
• Australian Dreaming
• Land of Forests, Fleas and Flies
• The Language of the Bush
• Jack Moses
• Wilf Carter

HARD YAKKA:

• Introduction
• A Bushman’s Song
• Waiting For The Rain
• The Man From Ironbark
• The Broken Down Squatter
• Said Hanrahan
• Great Australian Adjective
• Jones’s Selection
• As Stock Go By
• Shearing In a Bar