A SHEEP-STATION GLOSSARY

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20986, 14 October 1933, Page 15

A SHEEP-STATION GLOSSARY

* (SPECIALLY WIUTTEK FOE THE PKESS.) [B.r I/. G. D. ACiaXD.] VI. Dingbats.—Slang, of Australian origin, for delirium tremens. The j ds., I believe, are really the snakes,' weasels, etc., which a sufferer sees. (C, but since when I am not sure.) Dock.—To cut the tail oft* a lamb. Now a common euphemism for cut and tail. (C.) Doughboy.—A dumpling made of flour, sugar, and suet, boiled. It was a favourite dish out n'.ustering. (C.) Dover.— 2E gives the meaning as a clasp knife. George McMillan, who came out in 1858, told me that when he arrived it was the custom for hands to find their own knife, fork, spoon, plate, and pannikin, which were all called ds. A man would offer work for ; ' a pound a week and the run of my ds." The expression died out in Canterbury before 1860. Down Country.—See Country. Draft.—(i) To divide stock into classes, either in a yard or (cattle) by cutting out (q.v.). In old days sheep were hand drafted ; i.e., lifted over a rail or man-handled through a gate. (F.Y., p. 135). About 1854 it was found possible to run sheep one at a time through a drafting race and move a single gate as they came, so drafting into two lots. See double gate. Cattle are usually now drafted in a stock-yard (q.v.). See also shed. (G.P.W.). (ii) A number of stock sent for sale. E.g., "The annual Stonyhurst d. of four-year-old ewes will be offered." When the d. is actually offered it is usually spoken of as a line. (lE.) Driver.—A leather strap on the handle of a pair of shears, which fits over the back of the shearer's hand. (C.)

Drover.—One who driven stock for a living. In Canterbury they were usually spoken of as sheep-or cattle-drivers until about 1900. There is a newly formed verb, to drove, trans and intrans, coming into use. (M. : stock-driver, C.R., p. 104). Drum.—Swag, obviously from Hie shape. Hence drummer. (M.) Duff.—A very plain plum pudding, which was the invariable second course at Sunday dinner on stations. (G.P.W.). . / « [A Northern English variant of "dough" not recorded before the nineteenth century.—A.W.'J. Dummy.—A man who takes a run in his name for the benefit of another ; hence to d. and dummyisjii. (iE.) Eat tutu. —An old expression in Canterbury. (See tutu). Newly arrived immigrants took a certain time to settle down to New Zealand conditions. The following quotation explains the phrase : " Those who have come out in the last two or three ships have, I am told (with a few discreditable exceptions), passed with unprecedented rapidity through the crisis of unreasonableness, false pride, and grumbling, which old settlers call eating their tutu."—Paul, p 26. It was a very expressive saying, but had died out of use before my time. At least, I never heard it used. (M.) Ear-marks.— Nowadays the stock department issue only new e.-ms., which must be put in with a punch, so that there are all sorts, shapes, and sizes of notches and punchholes in farm sheep's ears. Most of the old station e.-ms. are simple and can be put in with the kmle. The following are the names of the commonest sorts: front quarter, back quarter, top, slit, fore bit, back bit, swallow or fork. There was also a plain punch-hole. (C.) Eight-tooth.—See Ages of Sheep. Even terms.—" Working for his tucker"; a polite expression only applied to cadets. (C.) " Ewe.—See Ages of Sheep. I have heard this word pronounced to rhyme with "toe" and with how, but I think these were imported dialect and nothing particular to do with Canterbury. (C.)

TThis is the true old pronuncia-: tion: Yo. Cf. Scots "Yowe. —! A.W.]. Eye-clip.—To cut the wool away from round a sheep's eyes. « thte is not done, the wool, especially on merinos is apt to grow over the Tyes and make the sheep woolblind. Some people speak of eyeclipping as Winking. (G.P.W.; C). Face or Facing:.—Side of a hill or range. (C.) Failing mouth.—See Ages of Fall.—(1) Autumn. For some reason station people usually speak of f. and f-muster, though so far as I know the v/ord is not m common use elsewhere in New Zealand. (C ) (2) A plain strip of leather at the end of the lash of a whip to which the cracker is attached. iu; Fan.—Hill creeks in Canterbury and Otago bring a lot of shingle down with them when they are in flood. On steep hillsides this shingle spreads on each side of the creek narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. This natural feature is called a f. In time tussocks grow over the shingle, and some large fs. of 500 to 1000 or more acres contain very good land. (C.) • Fence.—(l) I suppose a f. is strictly a made f. of wire or rails, and a hedge a growing f., but nine country people here out of ten speak of a gorse f. (C.) (2) to erect or (rarely) to mend fs. (C.) Fencer.—Man employed to erect

and mend fs. (C.) Fern—This name covers any f. growing outside the bush. The two S kinds are bracken (Ptens) and the shiny-green kind (Blechnum). (C.R., p. 3). Fine grassy-Shepherds are poor botanists. F.g. is their general name for all the small grasses that grow between the tussocks. (U> Flapjack.—A fritter made of flour, water, and sugar, fried. A great dish in camp. (C.) Flax.—Phormium Tenax. "The poor man's friend." This plant, shaped like a giant tussock, was one of the most useful things that grew. The leaves or blades were readymade straps and ropes for almost any purpose. The bush makes an excellent dog-kennel, and many a man has made a comfortable camp under one on a rough night. It is handy to tie a horse to and very good shelter for shorn sheep. The leaves a<*e easily skinned; and the fibre was used for making crackers for stock-and bullock-whips. The individual plants are called f. bushes and the dried reed stalks (which Maoris and children tied into bundles to make rafts) are called f.-sticks, koracti ss. of kraddy ss., I suppose a corrupted Maori word. On native country f. is always a sign of good land. (Pa.ul, p. 96;