[AT] OT: Waltzing Matilda 9was Re: My Turn/Matilda

[Mike Sloane]

 From Wikipedia:

waltzing
     derived from the German term auf der Walz, which means to travel 
while working as a craftsman and learn new techniques from other masters 
before returning home after three years and one day, a custom which is 
still in use today among carpenters.[9]
Matilda
     a romantic term for a swagman's bundle. See below, "Waltzing Matilda."
Waltzing Matilda
     from the above terms, "to waltz Matilda" is to travel with a swag, 
that is, with all one's belongings on one's back wrapped in a blanket or 
cloth. The exact origins of the term "Matilda" are disputed; one 
fanciful derivation states that when swagmen met each other at their 
gatherings, there were rarely women to dance with. Nonetheless, they 
enjoyed a dance, and so they danced with their swags, which was given a 
woman's name. However, this appears to be influenced by the word 
"waltz", hence the introduction of dancing. It seems more likely that, 
as a swagman's only companion, the swag came to be personified as a woman.
     Another explanation is that the term also derives from German 
immigrants. German soldiers commonly referred to their greatcoats as 
"Matilda", supposedly because the coat kept them as warm as a woman 
would. Early German immigrants who "went on the waltz" would wrap their 
belongings in their coat, and took to calling it by the same name their 
soldiers had used.

CEE VILL wrote:
> I cannot verify that, Roy.  My thoughts were with the Movie "On The
> Beach".  Waltzing Matilda (the song) played repeatedly during the
> movie.  When the sole survivors or the human race finally reached
> California from Australia, it was a Coke bottle hooked in the loop on
> a window shade draw string that was tapping the telegraph key, thus
> sending out the signal.  There were no other survivors on earth after
> all.  Any old tractors in the entire world were theirs for the
> taking.  No survivors to claim them.
> 
> 
> Charlie V.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From: k1lky at earthlink.net
>> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 11:45:18
>> -0500 Subject: Re: [AT] My Turn
>> 
>> 
>> On Feb 6, 2009, at 7:33 AM, CEE VILL wrote:
>> 
>>> Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda.  --We are the only two people
>>>  left on Earth, Paul.  (grin)
>> Cee and others,
>> 
>> Do I understand correctly that  the expression "Waltzing Matilda"
>> is from Australia and means being hung to death?
>> 
>> (The Aussies have some grim elements in their past.)
>> 
>> Roy