Austral English Part 271

Trichosurus, n. the scientific name of a genus of the Phalangers (q.v.), or Australian Opossums (q.v.). (Grk. trichos, of hair, and 'oura, tail.)

Trickett, n. slang name for a long drink of beer in New South Wales, after Trickett, the New South Wales champion sculler.

Trigger-plant, n. i.q. Hairtrigger (q.v.) plant; called also Jack-in-a-box.

Trigonia, n. a bivalve marine mollusc with a nacreous interior, much admired in Tasmania and used for pendants and necklaces, Trigonia margaritacea, Lamarck, of the order Pectinaceae. It is the largest trigonia occurring in Australasia, and the only one found in Tasmania. Numerous extinct species are characteristic of the Mesozoic rocks. The only living species existing are confined to Australia.

Trooper, n. a mounted policeman. The use is transferred from the name for a private soldier in a cavalry regiment. The Native troopers, or Black police, in Queensland, are a force of aboriginal police, officered by white men.

1858. T. McCombie, `History of Victoria,' c. viii. p. 100:

"A violent effort [was] made by the troopers on duty to disperse an a.s.semblage which occupied the s.p.a.ce of ground in front of the hustings."

1864. J. Rogers, `New Rush,' p. 51:

"A trooper spies him snoring in the street."

1868. J. A. B., `Meta,' canto iii. ver. 20, p. 72:

"The felon crew ... hard pressed by troopers ten."

Tropic-bird, n. The English name is applied because the bird is usually seen in the tropics. The species observed in Australia are--Red-tailed, Phaeton rubricaudus, Bodd.; White-tailed, P. candidus, Briss.

1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,'vol. vii. pl. 73:

"Phaeton Phoenicurus, Gmel., Red-tailed Tropic Bird; New Holland Tropic Bird, Latham, `General History, vol. x.

p. 448."

Tropidorhynchus, n. scientific name of a genus of birds peculiar to Australia and New Guinea. The typical species has a k.n.o.b on the bill, and the head and neck dest.i.tute of feathers. From Grk. tropis, the keel of a s.h.i.+p, and rhunchos, "beak." They are called Friar Birds (q.v.), and the generic name of Tropidorhynchus has been replaced by Philemon (q.v.).

Trout, n. The English Trout has been naturalised in Australia. In Tasmania, the name of Trout, or Mountain-Trout, is also given to species of the genus Galaxias. See Salmon.

Trumpeter, n. (1) A fish of Tasmanian, New Zealand, and Australian waters, but chiefly of Hobart-- Latris hecateia, Richards., family Cirrhitidae, much esteemed as a food-fish, and weighing sometimes 50 or 60 lbs. The name is probably from the noise made by the fish when taken out of the water. The name was formerly given to a different fish in Western Australia.

See also b.a.s.t.a.r.d-Trumpeter, Morwong, and Paper-fish.

1834. M. Doyle, `Letters and Journals of G. F. Moore, Swan River Settlement,' p. 191:

"Many persons are trying to salt fish, which are very numerous in the river about and below Perth, as you must have seen by one of my letters, in which I mentioned our having taken 10,000 at one draught of the seine; these are of the kind called herrings, but do not look very like them; they make a noise when out of the water, and on that account are also called trumpeters."

1870. T. H. Braim, `New Homes,' vol. ii. p. 65:

"The finest kinds are the guard-fish of the mainland and the trumpeter of the Derwent in Tasmania."

1882. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Fish of New South Wales,'

p. 45:

"The first of these [Latris] is the genus of the well-known `Hobart Town trumpeter,' a fish deservedly of high reputation."

(2) An obsolete name in Tasmania for the black Crow-Shrike (q.v.), Strepera fuliginosa, Gould.

1832. J. Bischoff, `Van Diemen's Land,' p. 177:

"We also occasionally heard the trumpeter or black magpie."

Trumpeter-Perch, n. i.q. Mado (q.v.).

Trumpeter-Whiting, n. See Whiting, quotation 1882.

Tuan, n. aboriginal name for the Flying-Squirrel (q.v.). See also Pongo.

1846. G. H. Haydon, `Five Years in Australia Felix,' p. 57:

"The flying-squirrel, or tuan, is much sought after for its fine fur; of these there are two kinds, a large one of a dark colour, only found 1n the mountains; and a smaller description found in all parts of the colony, and better known by the native name, tuan."

1859. H. Kingsley, `Geoffrey Hamlyn,' p. 274:

"The Touan, the little grey flying-squirrel, only begins to fly about at night, and slides down from his bough sudden and sharp."

Tuatara, n. the Maori name of a New Zealand lizard, or reptile, Hatteria punctata, Gray; called also Sphenodon puntatum.

1820. `Grammar and Vocabulary of Language of New Zealand'

(Church Missionary Society), p. 218:

"Tua tira, a species of lizard."

1863. `Mahoe Leaves,' p. 47:

"A small boy of a most precocious nature, who was termed `tua tara,' from a horrid sort of lizard that the natives abhor."

1890. `Catalogue of New Zealand Exhibition':

"The Tuatara is the largest existing New Zealand reptile. It is closely allied to the Lizards; but on account of certain peculiarities of structure, some of which tend to connect it with the Crocodiles, is placed by Dr. Guenther in a separate order (Rhynchocephalina)."

Tucker, n. Australian slang for food.

To tuck in is provincial English for to eat, and tuck is a school-boy word for food, especially what is bought at a pastrycook's. To make tucker means to earn merely enough to pay for food.

1874. Garnet Walch, `Head over Heels,' p. 73:

"For want of more nouris.h.i.+ng tucker, I believe they'd have eaten him."

1875. Wood and Lapham, `Waiting for the Mail,' p. 33:

"We heard of big nuggets, but only made tucker."

1890. `The Argus,' June 14, p. 14, col. 1:

"When a travelling man sees a hut ahead, he knows there's water inside, and tucker and tea."