The Dinkum Dictionary [Paperback]

Lenie Midge Johansen (Author), Ken Maynard (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 1991

A ripper guide to Aussie English!

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Australia; Revised edition (June 27, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670904198
• ISBN-13: 978-0670904198
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,196,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't go to Australia without it, August 9, 2004

By 

Virginia Allain "retired librarian" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dinkum Dictionary (Paperback)

The Aussies are amazingly inventive and colorful in their language. Guess the meaning for "go at it bald headed" or "neddies." This dictionary clearly defines such stumpers. Sample definition: on the bot - cadging/borrowing, usually with no intention of paying back.
At the end of the book are useful lists, such as occupations (garbo/garbage collector, minder/bodyguard, sparkie/electrician) or 3 pages just listing words for fools (chucklehead, drongo, galah, gink, troglodyte, yobbo) and another 3 pages of drinking words.
It's fun to read, even if you never make it to the land down under.

5.0 out of 5 stars Corker, it's a bottler, a really grouse OZ dictionary, November 24, 2006

By 

David Swann "Kanga" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dinkum Dictionary (Paperback)

As a writer I find it a fabulous resource of the inique turn of phrase that Australian's use. It is a very colorful language, raw, rude, funny, visual, dry, toungue in cheek, always irreverant, rebelious and never dull. It's a brilliant guide for those who want to decifer what the hell we're talking about amd a great insight into the colorful origins of out culture. I've had a copy for over ten years and I'm still using it.