Page 4 - eMuse Vol.9 No.08

Red Tab: Staff officer. From the Rile: To annoy.
red gorget patches on the Riled: Roused to anger.
collar.
Reinsman: A coach driver.
Registry: The office of a Registrar.
Rego: Registration.

Rein: A long narrow strap or
thong attached to the bri-
An on-going series of words and phrases no longer dle or bit by which a rider or Ringtail Possum
in use or shifted in meaning. driver restrains and guides a Ringtail possum: Any of vari-
horse or other animal. See ous species of possums,
Rag, to chew the: Grieve; brood. Recce: Short for “reconnais- “Trotting harness”.
sance”. In a Military sence, especially of the genera
Rag, to sky the: To throw the to survey or probe an area Rellies: A shortened form of Pseudocheirus and Hemi-
towel into the air in token of for enemy presence. Also to “relatives”. belideus, with a long tail,
surrender (pugilism). see what is in a place or situ- Remittance Man: An English- the prehensile tip of which
Rain, to keep out the: To avoid ation and/or has to offer. man in Australia whose is curled into a ring; found
danger; to act with caution. presence was no longer ac- throughout Australia.
Recomember: Remember. The Herbert River ring-
Ramaysh: Nonsense. Celtic origin? ceptable in England and who tail possum (Pseudochiru-
was supported by remittance
Ramstag mutton: aka “ram- from his family. lus herbertensis) (Herbie)
is featured in the logo of
struck mutton”. Tough meat.
Remount: A replacement horse. Queensland Parks and Wild-
Rat: A street urchin, a wharf life Service.
loafer. Renege: To fail to follow suit (in Ring, the: The arena of a prize-
playing cards); to quit.
Redback spider fight.
Rest Camp: A cemetery.
Redback spider: A small highly Ring, the dead ring: A remark-
venomous, Australian spider, Restoration Island: Named by able likeness.
Latrodectus hasseltii, glossy Capt William Bligh c 1789. His
dark brown to black, usually only landfall on Australian soil Ringer: Expert. The fastest
with a red or orange streak after the Mutiny on the Boun- shearer in the shed. The
on the body, closely related ty. Here his weakened sun- first to ring the bell.
to the katipo of New Zealand burned crew “restored’ them- Rise, a: An accession of for-
and the Black Widow spider selves with fresh water and tune, an improvement.
of America. oysters. By coincidence this
Ratline occurred on the anniversary RMS: “Royal Mail Ship”.
Red back spiders in the pocket: of the restoration of Charles II.
Ratline: Any of the small ropes aka “Death Adders in the Roadstead: (Nautical) (Some-
or lines which traverse the Pocket.” To refrain from tak- times called “roads”) a part-
shrouds horizontally, serving ing money from the pocket ly sheltered area of water
as steps for going aloft. as though there was some- near a shore in which ves-
Rat pack: Ration pack. thing dangerous there. sels may ride at anchor.

Ration Assassin: A cook. (De- Red-cap: Military policeman Rock Spider: A paedophile.
rogatory.) (especially British), said to Rocks: A locality in Sydney.
be the most despised men
Rattled: Excited; confused. on the Western Front. From Rhino Rocky: Colloquial nickname
Raw prawn: Deception. the red covering to their Rhino: Money for Rockhampton, a city on
field service caps. coastal central Queensland.
Razorhust: Darlinghurst (Syd- Ribbons: Colloquial for reins.
ney). So named because Red Centre, The: The Centre of Roll your own: A self rolled
of the old time pushes and Australia. Also called “The Ribuck: Correct, genuine, an cigarette.
their customary use of razors Centre”. interjection signifying assent. Rollie: A self rolled cigarette.
as weapons. Red handbag: A carton of wine. Alternate spelling = Ryebuck.
An obsolete colloquialism, Rook, to: To “take down.”
Red Heeler: Australian Cattle very good genuine. Believed Rookie: A recruit or newcom-
Dog. See “Cattle Dog.” to be from Cockney slang and er. From the corruption of
of ancient Yiddish in origin.
Red Lamp: Brothel. Sometimes recruit (and not the bird),
licensed and under police Ridgepole: The horizontal tim- although, interestingly, an
surveillance. From the red ber or member at the top of a infantry recruit in the mod-
light outside, the recognised roof, to which the upper ends ern British army is known as
symbol. of the rafters are fastened. the crow.
Reaping Hook
Red ‘ot: (Red Hot) Extreme; Ridgepole: The horizontal pole Rooti: Bread. From Hindustani
Reaping hook: aka sickle. out-and-out. at the top of a tent. “roti”.

4 eMuse August 2020