galah
English
Etymology
From Gamilaraay gilaa.
- (fool): From the bird. A connection with Malay gila (“mad”) has been suggested, but this explanation has not gained acceptance.[1]
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun
galah (plural galahs)
- A pink and grey species of cockatoo, Eolophus roseicapilla, native to Australia.
- 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, p. 434:
- There were red-tailed cockatoos, casuarina cockatoos, a little corella and a galah.
- 2005, David Lindenmayer, Mark A. Burgman, Practical Conservation Biology, page 175,
- The Galah has benefited from changes in the environment brought about by human activities (Rowley, 1990; Saunders and Ingram, 1995; Forshaw, 2002). The Galah′s diet is predominantly seeds, especially those from cereal crops and agricultural weeds.
- 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, p. 434:
- (Australia, slang) A fool, an idiot.
- That galah nearly drove me off the road.
- 1991, Patricia Shaw, River of the Sun, unnumbered page,
- ‘Don′t just stand there, you great galah, lend a hand here!’ Billy Kemp shoved Edmund towards the longboat. ‘Get it free. The lads are bringing up the casks.’
- 1999, Bryce Courtenay, Solomon's Song, unnumbered page,
- ‘But, Sergeant, I reckon a man would look a proper galah falling about with an empty rifle, going click, click, click, “bang you′re dead” when he wasn′t doing rifle drill on parade, like when it′s not official, know what I mean?’ one of the infantrymen volunteers.
- 2006, John Chalmers, The Professional Guest, page 13,
- ‘ […] Then you will strut around like a great galah tryin′ to impress the sheilas about what a fuckin′ big iron ore miner you are.’
Synonyms
- (fool): drongo
Derived terms
Translations
cockatoo
|
fool — see fool
Malay
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡalah/
- Rhymes: -alah, -lah, -ah
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