‘silly as a wheel’: meaning and origin
Australia, 1931—extremely silly—the underlying notion is probably that anything is silly that does all the hard work
Read MoreTag: T. A. G. Hungerford
‘not to know whether it’s Tuesday or Bourke Street’: meaning and origin
Australia, 1952—used of a state of confusion or stupidity—refers to Bourke Street, in Melbourne, Victoria
Read Morethe noun ‘dunny’ in Australian phrases
The noun ‘dunny’ denotes a toilet, especially an outside toilet. This noun has been used in various phrases expressing notions such as conspicuousness, loneliness, ill luck, etc.
Read More‘if it should rain pottage, he would want his dish’ and variants
The proverbial phrase ‘if it should rain pottage, he would want his dish’, and its many variants, are used of a person who is characterised by bad luck or by an inability to be organised or prepared.
Read More‘all over the place like a mad woman’s [+ noun]’
Australia, 1932—a humorous extension of ‘all over the place’, which means: (literally) everywhere, in every direction, widely scattered; (figuratively) in a confused or disorganised state
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