Showing posts with label L'Aussies Fair Dinkum Award. Show all posts
Showing posts with label L'Aussies Fair Dinkum Award. Show all posts

Thursday, 9 December 2010

Fair dinkum is as fair dinkum does. L'Aussie explains...


Hey are you guys fair dinkum or what?  Not satisfied with following the comment stream you must have a fair dinkum explanation from moi. Ha! You asked for it!

Before I launch into the translation, I'd like to give fair dinkum thanks to all of you who were so happy to receive this strange liitle award and ponder over what it meant. I'll just say for an Aussie to tell you that you're 'fair dinkum' is the highest accolate you will get from one of us. I think you're a 'bonza' lot as Crocodile Dundee would say.



Here are some commenters' ideas of what 'fair dinkum' means:

NR Williams - kind and thoughtful
Coelene Murphy - I have no idea!
Lynda Young - genuine, real, honest
Words Crafter - the real deal
Jeffrey Beesler -  I think a dinkum is kind of like a snookum in the US, and a snookums is a term of endearment for a loved one.
Writers Block NZ - truthful/honest
Grandpa - it's about truth, honesty, and about being fair, really - which I think is what Australia and all Aussies are all about!
Cheryl -  honest, genuine, a great person
Francine - I'm a fair dinkum Pom, and an Aussie says so!
Theresa -  People who are faithful in their support.
Nomes - genuine. It's true blue awesomeness.
Kangaroobee -  sure enough or okay and perhaps cool,
Rachael: it always means genuine and true blue for me.
Ellie: all round nice, honest, and caring person. Someone who I could trust with my life.
Christine - true or genuine (and Rolf Harris!)
The Golden Eagle - they do something that says that they care.
Julie Musil: Could it be that it's named after a writer?
Theres Just Life: You are fair dinkum in my book. 
Adina West - the simplest definition for fair dinkum is 'true blue'. Two words. Yep. Reckon I showed 'em. Gob smacked by that, aren't you, eh, you lot? Bloody oath!
Madeline: So since you had to stop somewhere with awarding I guess the answer would be 'Fair Dinkum'.

Well, as Kangaroobee's husband told her to tell me, just to show off his complete understanding of Aussie slanguage - I've been flat out like a lizard drinking, making this award or two, awarding it to 'fair dinkum' blogging mates, reading some sincere guesses and some downright show-offy Aussie know-all definitions, and now sifting through.


The iconic images on my award - a pub, a horse, the outback, the isolation, the sunset, the tranquility - all Aussie! Not a ranch in sight - we call 'em 'stations' and they are bigger than some countries!

The pic was taken near the largest station is the world, Anna Creek Station. It is located in South Australia. Its area is roughly 24,000 km² (6,000,000 acres) which is bigger than Israel. It is 8,000 km² larger than Alexandria Station (its nearest rival) in the Northern Territory, Australia and eight times the size of America's biggest ranch, King Ranch in Texas, which is only 3,000 km². Now howzat! Maybe I'll set my next HM&B romance there!

Now that you've read through the above comments, you've probably seen that the most popular definition of 'fair dinkum' is - a person who is kind, caring, thoughtful, genuine, straight, TRUE BLUE. Aussies love the term 'True Blue' as it means 'fair dinkum.' Don't get me started again!

True Blue: The Very Best ofWe have many examples of Aussies we consider true blue, such as the late Steve Irwin, who was a mate of John Williamson, a true-blue Aussie balladeer. I'm going to leave you with his song, 'True Blue'. He sang it live at Steve Irwin's memorial. I'll include that clip for any Steve Irwin fans. It shows an Australia Zoo worker loading Steve's camping gear and paraphenalia in his ute, then driving away. Very moving. As John Williamson croons - 'just knocked off for smoko...'





The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, a 'true-blue' Aussie.

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Announcing L'Aussie's Fair Dinkum Award! Did you receive one?

Ooooooh, aren't they cute?


Around NaNo time I posted some awards I'd received. I was really pressed for time and didn't pass them on, so I promised I'd create my very own L'Aussie Fair Dinkum Award. I said I'd award it to all commenters under my Award post.

Well, as you can see, I've created two! Choose the one you like the best to post on your blog! For those newbies, the quickest way to copy this award is to right click it, click on properties, then copy the http code. Any problems, just ask.

All of these bloggers are fair dinkum in that their blogs are always very interesting and creative. Some have been very fair dinkum to me in that they comment as often as time allows. Who can beat Joanna St James? Is she fair dinkum or what? I no sooner hit 'Publish' and Joanna's there! Now if the rest of us didn't worry about things like sleeping, we could do that too! Ha! Ha! Thanks so much to Joanna and all you lovely people for your support.

Please visit their blogs if you aren't already a follower. You won't be sorry!

My Lucky Commenters

List No 1

Joanna St James the bionic writer
Erica @ Hypothetically Speaking
Coelene Murphy @ The Journey
Ellie Garret
The Golden Eagle
Lynda Young @ WIP It
Elliot Grace @ So close but..
N R Williams Fantasy Author
Velvet over Steel
Christine @ Inwardly Digesting
Laura Eno @ A Shift in Dimensions
Julie Musil

My other Faithful Followers

List No 2

These guys didn't comment on my Awards post, (probably thrashing out their NaNo novel,) but they are VIPs to moi and I'd like to send this award skittering their way. Most of them constantly comment on my posts in a thoughtful way. Some don't comment so much, but I know they're there and they pop back to cheer me up every so often! A few are receiving this award just because they're Aussies and we Aussies know all about 'fair dinkum.'

Francine @ Romancing the Blog
Grandpa @ Life on the Farm
Rachel Harrie @ Rach Writes
Catherine @ Kangaroobee's Blog
Theresa @ the Substitute Teacher Saga
Jai Joshie @ the Tulsi Tree
Jeffrey Beesler @ World of the Scribe
Al @ Publish or Perish
Writer's Block NZ
Nomes @ Inkcrush
Cheryl @ Kangaroos of the Scrubby Bush
Lisa @ Notes from Nadir
Lenny @ Lenny's World
Donna Hole
The Words Crafter
Pamela Jo @ There's Just Life
Amie Kaufman
Adina West @ Stairways and Landings

Sure, I know. You should have been on the list, but I thought I'd better stop somewhere. I will be sending this award to more of you in the future, as your name leaks back into my NaNo zapped brain. Be ready!

INSTRUCTIONS

Recipients of this very first L'Aussie Fair Dinkum award are asked to:

  • leave me a comment on this post, telling me what you think Fair Dinkum really means in 30 words or less - not just in the blogging world, but in your whole world view. Do you know some fair dinkum people? Tell us about them. er, do you think Julian Assange is fair dinkum for example?
  • tell me why you think I chose these particular images to represent Oz
    THEN:
  • post on your blog, linking back to me if you're pleased to receive my award
  • pass the award onto the 'fair dinkum' bloggers in your life - as many/few as you like

    OPTIONAL: Write a blog post on your thoughts about being fair dinkum but please link back to me so I can read it!

Thank you all you fair dinkum bloggers out there!

L'Aussie Denise