[AT] My Turn/Matilda

[Larry Mason]

This is from the National Library of Australia site:
WALTZING MATILDA The act of carrying the ‘swag’ (an alternate colloquial 
term is ‘humping the bluey’).

Matilda is an old Teutonic female name meaning ‘mighty battle maid’. This 
may have informed the use of ‘Matilda’ as a slang term to mean a de facto 
wife who accompanied a wanderer. In the Australian bush a man’s swag was 
regarded as a kind of de facto wife, hence his ‘Matilda’. (Letter to Rt. 
Hon. Sir Winston Churchill, KG from Harry Hastings Pearce, 19 February 1958. 
Harry Pearce Papers, NLA Manuscript Collection, MS2765)

A swag is a chaff bag which contained the tramp's "billy" (provisions and 
blankets)
Larry Mason
Hackensack MN
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "CEE VILL" <cvee60 at hotmail.com>
To: "new atislist" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 2:51 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] My Turn/Matilda



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
>
> Roy Morgan
> k1lky at earthlink.net
> 529 Cobb St.
> Groton NY, 13073
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at

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