The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke

by C. J. Dennis

Back Chat—Impudent repartee.
Back and Fill—To vacillate; to shuffle.
Back the Barrer—To intervene without invitation.
Barmy (Balmy)—Foolish; silly.
Beak—A magistrate. (Possibly from Anglo-Saxon, Beag—a magistrate.)
Beano—A feast.
Beans—Coins; money.
Beat—Puzzled; defeated.
Beat, off the—-Out of the usual routine.
Beef (to beef it out)—To declaim vociferously.
Bellers (Bellows)—The lungs.
Biff—To smite.
Bird, to give the—To treat with derision.
Blighter—A worthless fellow.
Bli'me—An oath with the fangs drawn.
Blither—To talk at random, foolishly.
Blob—A shapeless mass.
Block—The head.
To lose or do in the block—To become flustered; excited; angry;
to lose confidence.
To keep the block—To remain calm; dispassionate.
Block, the—A fashionable city walk.
Bloke—A male adult of the genus homo.
Blubber, blub—To weep.
Bluff—Cunning practice; make believe. v. To deceive; to mislead.
Bob—A shilling.
Bokays—Compliments, flattery.
Boko—The nose.
Bong-tong—Patrician (Fr. Bon ton).
Bonzer, boshter, bosker—Adjectives expressing the superlative of
excellence.
Boodle—Money; wealth.
Book—A bookie, q.v.
Bookie—A book-maker (turf); one who makes a betting book on sporting
events.
Boot, to put in the—To kick a prostrate foe.
Boss—Master, employer.
Break (to break away, to do a break)—To depart in haste.
Breast up to—To accost.
Brisket—The chest.
Brown—A copper coin.
Brums—Tawdry finery (From Brummagem—Birmingham).
Buckley's (Chance)—A forlorn hope.
Buck-up—Cheer up.
Bump—To meet; to accost aggressively.
Bun, to take the—To take the prize (used ironically).
Bundle, to drop the—To surrender; to give up hope.
Bunk—To sleep in a "bunk" or rough bed.
To do a bunk—To depart. Bunnies, to hawk the—To peddle rabbits.
Bus, to miss the—To neglect opportunities.

Caboose—A small dwelling.
Carlton—A Melbourne Football Team.
Cat, to whip the—To cry over spilt milk; i.e. to whip the cat that
has spilt the milk.
C.B.—Confined to barracks.
Cert—A certainty; a foregone conclusion.
Champeen—Champion.
Chase yourself—Depart; avaunt; "fade away," q.v.
Chat—To address tentatively; to "word" q.v.
Cheque, to pass in one's—To depart this life.
Chest, to get it off one's—To deliver a speech; express one's feelings.
Chew, to chew it over; to chew the rag—To sulk; to nurse a grievance.
Chiack—Vulgar banter; coarse invective.
Chin—To talk; to wag the chin.
Chip—To "chat," q.v.
Chip in—To intervene.
Chiv—The face.
Chow—A native of far Cathay.
Chuck up—To relinquish.
Chuck off—To chaff; to employ sarcasm.
Chump—A foolish fellow.
Chunk—A lump; a mass.
Clean—Completely; utterly.
Click—A clique; a "push," q.v.
Cliner—A young unmarried female.
Clobber—Raiment; vesture.
Cobber—A boon companion.
Collect—To receive one's deserts.
Colour-line—In pugilism, the line drawn by white boxers excluding
coloured fighters—for divers reasons.
Conk—The nose.
Coot—A person of no account (used contemptuously).
Cop—To seize; to secure; also s. An avocation, a "job."
Cop (or Copper)—A police constable.
Copper-top—Red head.
Copper show—A copper mine.
Count, to take the—In pugilism, to remain prostrate for ten
counted seconds, and thus lose the fight.
Cove—A "chap" or "bloke," q.v. (Gipsy).
Cow—A thoroughly unworthy, not to say despicable, person, place,
thing, or circumstance.
A fair cow—An utterly obnoxious and otherwise unexpressible person,
place, thing, or circumstance.
Crack—To smite. s. A blow.
Crack a boo—To divulge a secret; to betray emotion.
Crack hardy—To suppress emotion; to endure patiently; to keep a secret.
Cray—A crayfish.
Crib—A dwelling.
Croak—To die.
Crook—A dishonest or evil person.
Crook—Unwell; dishonest; spurious; fraudulent. Superlative, Dead Crook.
Crool (cruel) the pitch—To frustrate; to interfere with one's
schemes or welfare.
Crust—Sustenance; a livelihood:
Cut it out—Omit it; discontinue it.

Dago—A native of Southern Europe.
Dash, to do-one's—To reach one's Waterloo.
Date—An appointment.
Dawg (dog)—A contemptible person; ostentation.
To put on dawg—To behave in an arrogant manner.
Dead—In a superlative degree; very.
Deal—To deal it out; to administer punishment, abuse, etc.
Deener—A shilling (Fr. Denier. Denarius, a Roman silver coin).
Derry—An aversion; a feud; a dislike.
Dickin—A term signifying disgust or disbelief.
Dile (dial)—The face.
Dilly—Foolish; half-witted.
Ding Dong—Strenuous.
Dinkum—Honest; true. "The Dinkum Oil."—The truth.
Dirt—Opprobrium, a mean speech or action.
Dirty left—A formidable left fist.
Divvies—Dividends; profits.
Dizzy limit—The utmost; the superlative degree.
Do in—To defeat; to kill; to spend.
Done me luck—Lost my good fortune.
Dope—A drug; adulterated liquor. v. To administer drugs.
Dot in the eye, to—To strike in the eye.
Douse—To extinguish (Anglo-Saxon).
Drive a quill—To write with a pen; to work in an office.
Duck, to do a—See "break."
Duds—Personal apparel (Scotch).
Dunno—Do not know.
Dutch—German; any native of Central Europe.

'Eads (Heads)—The authorities; inner council.
'Eadin'—"Heading browns"; tossing pennies.
'Ead over Turkey—Head over heels.
'Ead Serang—The chief; the leader.
'Eavyweight—A boxer of the heaviest class.
'Ell—fer-leather—In extreme haste.
End up, to get—To rise to one's feet.

Fade away, to—To retire; to withdraw.
Fag—A cigarette.
Fair—Extreme; positive.
Fair thing—A wise proceeding; an obvious duty.
Fake—A swindle; a hoax.
Finger—An eccentric or amusing person.
Flam—Nonsense; make—believe.
Flash—Ostentatious; showy but counterfeit.
Float, to—To give up the ghost.
Fluff, a bit of—A young female person.
Foot (me foot)—A term expressing ridicule.
Footer—Football.
Frame—The body.
Frill—Affectation.
Funk, to—To fear; to lose courage.
Furphy—An idle rumour; a canard.

Galoot—A simpleton.
Game—Occupation; scheme; design.
Gawsave—The National Anthem.
Gazob—A fool; a blunderer.
Geewhizz—Exclamation expressing surprise.
Get, to do a—To retreat hastily.
Gilt—Money; wealth.
Give, to—In one sense, to care.
Gizzard—The heart.
Glassey—The glassy eye; a glance of cold disdain.
The Glassey Alley—The favourite; the most admired.
Glim—A light.
Going (while the going is good)—While the path is clear.
Gone (fair gone)—Overcome, as with emotion.
Goo-goo eyes—Loving glances.
Gorspil-cove—A minister of the Gospel.
Graft—Work.
Grafter—One who toils hard or willingly.
Griffin, the straight—The truth, secret information.
Grip—Occupation; employment.
Groggy—Unsteady; dazed.
Grouch—To mope; to grumble.
Grub—Food.
Guff—Nonsense.
Guy—A foolish fellow.
Guy, to do a—To retire.
Guyver—Make-believe.

Hankies—A fondling of hands between lovers.
Hang out—To reside; to last.
Hang-over—The aftermath of the night before.
Hankies—Handkerchiefs.
High-falutin'—High sounding; boastful.
Hitch, to—To wed.
Hitched—Entangled in the bonds of holy matrimony.
Hit things up—To behave strenuously; riotously.
Hot—Excessive, extreme.
Hump, the—A fit of depression.
Hump, to—To carry as a swag or other burden.

Imshee—Begone; retreat; to take yourself off. [Arabic]
Intro—Introduction; "knock—down," q.v.
It (to be It)—To assume a position of supreme importance.

Jab—To strike smartly.
Jane—A woman.
Jiff—A very brief period.
Job, to—To smite.
Joes—Melancholy thoughts.
John—A policeman.
Joint, to jump the—To assume command; to occupy the "joint,"
i.e., establishment, situation, place of business.
Jolt, to pass a—To deliver a short, sharp blow.
Jor—The jaw.
Jorb (Job)—Avocation; employment.
Josser—A simple fellow.
Jug—A prison.

Keekin'—Peeping.
Keeps, for—For ever; permanently.
Kersplosh—Splash.
Kid—A child.
Kid, to—To deceive; to persuade by flattery.
Kiddies—Children.
Kid Stakes—Pretence.
King Pin—The leader; the person of chief importance.
Kip—A small chip used for tossing pennies in the occult game
of two—up.
Kipsie—A house; the home.
Knob—The head; one in authority.
Knock-down—A ceremony insisted upon by ladies who decline
to be "picked up"; a formal introduction.
Knock-out drops—Drugged or impure liquor.
Knock-out punch—A knock—down blow.
Knot—A fop; a well—dressed idler.