I thought some translation might be useful... page references are to the US Vintage editionsome O&L vocabulary....
Posted by Kate on January 25, 1998 at 13:41:12:
I thought some translation might be useful... page references are to the US Vintage edition
Chapter 1 - page 1
"A cunning spin bowler": Bowlers do in cricket, what pitchers do in basebal. A spin bowler bowls the ball quite slowly, but gives in a twist as it leaves his hand, so that when it bounces on the way to the batsman it heads off on a different trajectory.
Chapter 8 - p22
"The Paris end of Collins Street": Collins Street, in years gone by, was the classier shopping street in Melbourne. One end of it was characterised by gracious late 19C architecture, elegant shops, lamp posts etc. It gained the informal title of "the Paris end", but as Carey suggests, once you've been to Paris, the title is excessive wishful thinking!
Chapter 12 - p39
"toby jugs" Do people know what these are?
Chapter 17 - p 56
"gormless" implies awkwardness, clumsiness, vagueness or stupidity, and no cunning or cleverness.
Chapter 37 - - p134
"Mr Henry Parkes" - Parkes was a well known New South Wales politician and subsequently one of the major drafters of the Australian constitution. Having him drop in would be the equivalent of having Madison or Hamilton at your house.
Capter 39 - p 140
"Burke" and "Mitchell". Both well known explorers of the interior of Australia.
I might have missed some. Feel free to post any inquiries!!
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