Why your chippy has a 'toolbox' and bullet trains 'fang it'
Building sites seem the idea's bedrock. Picture a gang of scaffolders and crane operators, brickies and sparkies, gathered around toolboxes real or figurative. Safety as focus, the toolbox talk reviews best practice, outlines protocols. But when did the term emerge?
Earlier mentions seem American, cited in the realm of occupational health and safety. If not construction, then aviation is another suspect, with a 1971 dossier referring to a tarmac chat among aircrew.
Since then, the toolbox ethos has been spread by tradies to oil-and-gas projects, mines to real-estate offices, even my weekly bike rides. Mick is the culprit, an engineering mate with a background in chocolate factories. Every Saturday, after a pedal, he turns our kaffeeklatsch into a MAMIL toolbox, citing any risky behaviour he'd noted, from poor signals to reckless speed. We pretend to listen like a band of Oompa Loompas.
Keeping with speed, fang was the next word to investigate, the query sparked by Stephen McDonell, BBC's China correspondent based in Beijing. His Bluesky post captured the breakneck hurtle of a bullet train, a beige blur of farmland beyond the window. His caption read, 'Fang'n it now at 350kmh as we approach #Shanghai'. Tellingly, McDonell spent time on these shores working with the BBC since fanging (or more commonly, fangin') belongs to our unique vernacular, linked to Argentina's Formula 1 champ Juan Fangio. Dubbed El Maestro, Fangio bagged 24 career wins across the 1950s, bequeathing his name to local hoons and billycart kids.
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Still on homegrown slang, my recent column on the roots of root caused a ruckus in the forums. Riddley Walker reminded me that the late essayist Kate Jennings edited a poetry anthology with Outback Press in 1975: Mother I'm Rooted. As Riddley added, 'The title carried both meanings – sexual and physical exhaustion.'
Another reader recalled that when his 'dear old Dad was fatigued, he used to say that he felt like one of the Tedd brothers: Roo'. Just as a third respondent couldn't resist a joke: 'The outback grazier was telling his fellow cockie that he was thinking of driving down to Sydney to the Royal Easter Show. Asked which route he'd take, he replied, 'Well, I thought I'd take the missus – she stuck with me through the drought.'
Such front-bar humour segues into the final challenge, this one posed by Sian Johnson: 'Can we do better than 'pub test' to mean a citizen's measure of acceptability? I feel the phrase is too blokey, too boozy.' Sian might be right, though pub test seems entrenched.
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
How collector's bargain tip-shop finds ended up at Canberra Museum
About 30 years ago, Rohan Goyne was browsing at a Canberra tip shop when he came across a framed certificate he knew was special. Mr Goyne picked up the Mentioned in Dispatches certificate from World War II, which was awarded to soldiers who had been commended for acts of gallantry or distinguished service in official reports, along with a bunch of other items, for the princely sum of $10. Over the years, he has amassed more than 500 items, with a particular focus on items that reflect what took place on the home front during the war. Read more from The Senior His collection has grown so large that he no longer has room to display it at home. Most of the items have been itemised and stored in boxes, in his garage, and various places around the house. These items range from rare coins printed during the war, to shovels that were used by the Land Army, and old pamphlets, propaganda posters and brochures. Mr Goyne is on a fixed budget and says he never pays much for these rare finds, but some of them are quite valuable. He did not want to disclose how much the collection was worth. Many of the items have been sourced from op shops and tip shops. Mr Goyne said Canberra is a city that is rich in historical military memorabilia. "Canberra is a military town, so there's a lot of people who served... when grandpa dies, people just send this stuff to the charity shops," he said. Other items have been sourced from private owners. Mr Goyne is not your average coin collector, but his collection does include a number of Australian pennies that were printed at the Bombay Mint during the latter stages of the war years. He explained that when American troops were stationed in Australia, they had a lot of money to spend, resulting in the Australian Government asking India to print about 400,000 pennies to make up for the shortfall. The only thing that distinguishes them from pennies printed in Australia is a small asterisk printed on their faces. Mr Goyne found the coins in op shops after researching how to identify them, paying no more than $3 per penny. Another significant item is a Liberty Loan poster, one of a series of posters that were issued to call on Australians to contribute to the ongoing campaign by investing in war bonds. Mr Goyne purchased the poster from its previous owner about five years ago and said there is an equivalent poster in the Australian War Memorial Collection. Other key items in Mr Goyne's collection include an ore sample from Mount Painter in South Australia, a disused mine that was reopened to supply the United States with uranium to assist with its Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the first atomic bombs. Another recent find is a huge volume from the Commonwealth Patents Office, featuring trademarks, patents and designs for a range of military equipment that were lodged in 1945. A selection of items from Mr Goyne's collection will be displayed at an exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery from August 9-February 1. While some of the items he has collected are quite valuable, Mr Goyne has no intention to resell them. For him, the collection is all about preserving an often neglected part of our wartime history. "I think that the sacrifices [of]... Australians who didn't go and serve overseas, that is not well documented... I've heard very little conversation about what was happening at home to achieve that victory, and everyone was involved in that." Following the exhibition, My Goyne said he will consider donating some of his items. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. About 30 years ago, Rohan Goyne was browsing at a Canberra tip shop when he came across a framed certificate he knew was special. Mr Goyne picked up the Mentioned in Dispatches certificate from World War II, which was awarded to soldiers who had been commended for acts of gallantry or distinguished service in official reports, along with a bunch of other items, for the princely sum of $10. Over the years, he has amassed more than 500 items, with a particular focus on items that reflect what took place on the home front during the war. Read more from The Senior His collection has grown so large that he no longer has room to display it at home. Most of the items have been itemised and stored in boxes, in his garage, and various places around the house. These items range from rare coins printed during the war, to shovels that were used by the Land Army, and old pamphlets, propaganda posters and brochures. Mr Goyne is on a fixed budget and says he never pays much for these rare finds, but some of them are quite valuable. He did not want to disclose how much the collection was worth. Many of the items have been sourced from op shops and tip shops. Mr Goyne said Canberra is a city that is rich in historical military memorabilia. "Canberra is a military town, so there's a lot of people who served... when grandpa dies, people just send this stuff to the charity shops," he said. Other items have been sourced from private owners. Mr Goyne is not your average coin collector, but his collection does include a number of Australian pennies that were printed at the Bombay Mint during the latter stages of the war years. He explained that when American troops were stationed in Australia, they had a lot of money to spend, resulting in the Australian Government asking India to print about 400,000 pennies to make up for the shortfall. The only thing that distinguishes them from pennies printed in Australia is a small asterisk printed on their faces. Mr Goyne found the coins in op shops after researching how to identify them, paying no more than $3 per penny. Another significant item is a Liberty Loan poster, one of a series of posters that were issued to call on Australians to contribute to the ongoing campaign by investing in war bonds. Mr Goyne purchased the poster from its previous owner about five years ago and said there is an equivalent poster in the Australian War Memorial Collection. Other key items in Mr Goyne's collection include an ore sample from Mount Painter in South Australia, a disused mine that was reopened to supply the United States with uranium to assist with its Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the first atomic bombs. Another recent find is a huge volume from the Commonwealth Patents Office, featuring trademarks, patents and designs for a range of military equipment that were lodged in 1945. A selection of items from Mr Goyne's collection will be displayed at an exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery from August 9-February 1. While some of the items he has collected are quite valuable, Mr Goyne has no intention to resell them. For him, the collection is all about preserving an often neglected part of our wartime history. "I think that the sacrifices [of]... Australians who didn't go and serve overseas, that is not well documented... I've heard very little conversation about what was happening at home to achieve that victory, and everyone was involved in that." Following the exhibition, My Goyne said he will consider donating some of his items. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. About 30 years ago, Rohan Goyne was browsing at a Canberra tip shop when he came across a framed certificate he knew was special. Mr Goyne picked up the Mentioned in Dispatches certificate from World War II, which was awarded to soldiers who had been commended for acts of gallantry or distinguished service in official reports, along with a bunch of other items, for the princely sum of $10. Over the years, he has amassed more than 500 items, with a particular focus on items that reflect what took place on the home front during the war. Read more from The Senior His collection has grown so large that he no longer has room to display it at home. Most of the items have been itemised and stored in boxes, in his garage, and various places around the house. These items range from rare coins printed during the war, to shovels that were used by the Land Army, and old pamphlets, propaganda posters and brochures. Mr Goyne is on a fixed budget and says he never pays much for these rare finds, but some of them are quite valuable. He did not want to disclose how much the collection was worth. Many of the items have been sourced from op shops and tip shops. Mr Goyne said Canberra is a city that is rich in historical military memorabilia. "Canberra is a military town, so there's a lot of people who served... when grandpa dies, people just send this stuff to the charity shops," he said. Other items have been sourced from private owners. Mr Goyne is not your average coin collector, but his collection does include a number of Australian pennies that were printed at the Bombay Mint during the latter stages of the war years. He explained that when American troops were stationed in Australia, they had a lot of money to spend, resulting in the Australian Government asking India to print about 400,000 pennies to make up for the shortfall. The only thing that distinguishes them from pennies printed in Australia is a small asterisk printed on their faces. Mr Goyne found the coins in op shops after researching how to identify them, paying no more than $3 per penny. Another significant item is a Liberty Loan poster, one of a series of posters that were issued to call on Australians to contribute to the ongoing campaign by investing in war bonds. Mr Goyne purchased the poster from its previous owner about five years ago and said there is an equivalent poster in the Australian War Memorial Collection. Other key items in Mr Goyne's collection include an ore sample from Mount Painter in South Australia, a disused mine that was reopened to supply the United States with uranium to assist with its Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the first atomic bombs. Another recent find is a huge volume from the Commonwealth Patents Office, featuring trademarks, patents and designs for a range of military equipment that were lodged in 1945. A selection of items from Mr Goyne's collection will be displayed at an exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery from August 9-February 1. While some of the items he has collected are quite valuable, Mr Goyne has no intention to resell them. For him, the collection is all about preserving an often neglected part of our wartime history. "I think that the sacrifices [of]... Australians who didn't go and serve overseas, that is not well documented... I've heard very little conversation about what was happening at home to achieve that victory, and everyone was involved in that." Following the exhibition, My Goyne said he will consider donating some of his items. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. About 30 years ago, Rohan Goyne was browsing at a Canberra tip shop when he came across a framed certificate he knew was special. Mr Goyne picked up the Mentioned in Dispatches certificate from World War II, which was awarded to soldiers who had been commended for acts of gallantry or distinguished service in official reports, along with a bunch of other items, for the princely sum of $10. Over the years, he has amassed more than 500 items, with a particular focus on items that reflect what took place on the home front during the war. Read more from The Senior His collection has grown so large that he no longer has room to display it at home. Most of the items have been itemised and stored in boxes, in his garage, and various places around the house. These items range from rare coins printed during the war, to shovels that were used by the Land Army, and old pamphlets, propaganda posters and brochures. Mr Goyne is on a fixed budget and says he never pays much for these rare finds, but some of them are quite valuable. He did not want to disclose how much the collection was worth. Many of the items have been sourced from op shops and tip shops. Mr Goyne said Canberra is a city that is rich in historical military memorabilia. "Canberra is a military town, so there's a lot of people who served... when grandpa dies, people just send this stuff to the charity shops," he said. Other items have been sourced from private owners. Mr Goyne is not your average coin collector, but his collection does include a number of Australian pennies that were printed at the Bombay Mint during the latter stages of the war years. He explained that when American troops were stationed in Australia, they had a lot of money to spend, resulting in the Australian Government asking India to print about 400,000 pennies to make up for the shortfall. The only thing that distinguishes them from pennies printed in Australia is a small asterisk printed on their faces. Mr Goyne found the coins in op shops after researching how to identify them, paying no more than $3 per penny. Another significant item is a Liberty Loan poster, one of a series of posters that were issued to call on Australians to contribute to the ongoing campaign by investing in war bonds. Mr Goyne purchased the poster from its previous owner about five years ago and said there is an equivalent poster in the Australian War Memorial Collection. Other key items in Mr Goyne's collection include an ore sample from Mount Painter in South Australia, a disused mine that was reopened to supply the United States with uranium to assist with its Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the first atomic bombs. Another recent find is a huge volume from the Commonwealth Patents Office, featuring trademarks, patents and designs for a range of military equipment that were lodged in 1945. A selection of items from Mr Goyne's collection will be displayed at an exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery from August 9-February 1. While some of the items he has collected are quite valuable, Mr Goyne has no intention to resell them. For him, the collection is all about preserving an often neglected part of our wartime history. "I think that the sacrifices [of]... Australians who didn't go and serve overseas, that is not well documented... I've heard very little conversation about what was happening at home to achieve that victory, and everyone was involved in that." Following the exhibition, My Goyne said he will consider donating some of his items. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
The Age
10-07-2025
- The Age
When in Wellington ...
'Triggered by recent events, I've been thinking,' says George Manojlovic of Mangerton. 'If a famous Duke was wearing his favourite boots while dining on his favourite dish in his favourite New Zealand city, it would be a Wellington for Wellington in Wellington in Wellingtons.' 'Is it a form of intelligence that makes a melomaniac brush turkey (C8), or an enthusiastic news-watching skink?' wonders Suzanne Saunders of Wadeville. 'I like to think it's what drove our now-departed Dalmatian to instantly leave the room every time then-prime minister John Howard came on TV. She'd reappear only when he'd disappeared and not a moment before.' 'Could it be that the background music for Geoff Turnbull's lunch with a brush turkey is identifiable as the second movement of Mozart՛s piano sonata, Rondo Alla Turca?' posits Stephen Lyons of Kellyville. Ros Turkington of Rockdale says, in reply to William Galton (C8), 'My grandmother was an Ida, and spent her entire life fending off 'Ida-down' jokes. Please, have pity, no more!' Remaining with the bedclothes discussion, Ian Clarke of Terrigal find that 'stuffing a doona into its cover is a bit like a birth in reverse.' This is not a problem for Shelley Thomson of Mount Lofty: 'I still use wool blankets and a bedcover (not a bedspread). Sleep experts say blankets keep you warmer than doonas because when you turn over, air is created under the doona and disturbs your sleep. This does not happen with blankets and there's no inserting them into covers.' 'Donald Trump is 50 years too late with his tariffs,' reckons Bob Roobottom of Taree. 'Back in the mid-1970s I bought some hi-fi equipment, an American brand amplifier and a European brand turntable. When I got them home and unpacked them, I was surprised to find that they were both made in Japan under licence.' 'Have you noticed that the bigger and more expensive the car, the less likely it is to have working indicators?' queries Jane Howland of Cammeray. Monday's tally was two Mercs, three BMWs, an Audi, and several of those huge black utes-on-steroids called Grunt or similar, sporting green Ps.' 'Did Peter Riley (C8) notice that in Whitechapel, there was also a shoe salesman named Jack the Slipper, a gardener named Jack the Whipper-Snipper, a personal trainer named Jack the Skipper and an entertainer named Jack the Stripper?' asks Meri Will of Baulkham Hills. 'Didn't think so.'
Sydney Morning Herald
10-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
When in Wellington ...
'Triggered by recent events, I've been thinking,' says George Manojlovic of Mangerton. 'If a famous Duke was wearing his favourite boots while dining on his favourite dish in his favourite New Zealand city, it would be a Wellington for Wellington in Wellington in Wellingtons.' 'Is it a form of intelligence that makes a melomaniac brush turkey (C8), or an enthusiastic news-watching skink?' wonders Suzanne Saunders of Wadeville. 'I like to think it's what drove our now-departed Dalmatian to instantly leave the room every time then-prime minister John Howard came on TV. She'd reappear only when he'd disappeared and not a moment before.' 'Could it be that the background music for Geoff Turnbull's lunch with a brush turkey is identifiable as the second movement of Mozart՛s piano sonata, Rondo Alla Turca?' posits Stephen Lyons of Kellyville. Ros Turkington of Rockdale says, in reply to William Galton (C8), 'My grandmother was an Ida, and spent her entire life fending off 'Ida-down' jokes. Please, have pity, no more!' Remaining with the bedclothes discussion, Ian Clarke of Terrigal find that 'stuffing a doona into its cover is a bit like a birth in reverse.' This is not a problem for Shelley Thomson of Mount Lofty: 'I still use wool blankets and a bedcover (not a bedspread). Sleep experts say blankets keep you warmer than doonas because when you turn over, air is created under the doona and disturbs your sleep. This does not happen with blankets and there's no inserting them into covers.' 'Donald Trump is 50 years too late with his tariffs,' reckons Bob Roobottom of Taree. 'Back in the mid-1970s I bought some hi-fi equipment, an American brand amplifier and a European brand turntable. When I got them home and unpacked them, I was surprised to find that they were both made in Japan under licence.' 'Have you noticed that the bigger and more expensive the car, the less likely it is to have working indicators?' queries Jane Howland of Cammeray. Monday's tally was two Mercs, three BMWs, an Audi, and several of those huge black utes-on-steroids called Grunt or similar, sporting green Ps.' 'Did Peter Riley (C8) notice that in Whitechapel, there was also a shoe salesman named Jack the Slipper, a gardener named Jack the Whipper-Snipper, a personal trainer named Jack the Skipper and an entertainer named Jack the Stripper?' asks Meri Will of Baulkham Hills. 'Didn't think so.'
