Dinky the Singing Dingo - Hours
Jul 17th, 2005, 07:23 PM
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Jim's Place will certainly be open. However Dinky does not sing on schedule; only when he feels like it. We hung around for about an hour guzzling beer so we could appreciate him. Jim doesn't hurry Dinky.
AndrewDavid
AndrewDavid
Jul 19th, 2005, 12:10 AM
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Oh, way harsh, margo!
For those not up to speed on old-fashioned Australian slang, a drongo is ... well, let's say not the sharpest knife in the door, a.k.a. a nong, a galah, a dillbrain, a dickhead - take your pick. For Americans, "lamebrain" comes close.
I think a drongo was a bird, now extinct and therefore a prima facie case of dopiness.
I'm reminded of the fact (?) that in Italian a live, running-around chicken is "un galletto", whereas the dead, ready-to-eat variety is "un pollo", and "pollo" also denotes a ... well, a drongo. (I might have got that wrong - A/D, a noted Italian scholar, might like to help me out here.)
Anyway, I also believe that "Drongo" was the name of a long-dead racehorse who consistently failed his backers' expectations by always managing to stuff things up and finish at the back of the field, no matter how favourable a start he got. I think he was the real origin of the term.
The word can be wonderfully expressive when delivered with the right mix of contempt and resignation. Pity that it's not much used any more.
For those not up to speed on old-fashioned Australian slang, a drongo is ... well, let's say not the sharpest knife in the door, a.k.a. a nong, a galah, a dillbrain, a dickhead - take your pick. For Americans, "lamebrain" comes close.
I think a drongo was a bird, now extinct and therefore a prima facie case of dopiness.
I'm reminded of the fact (?) that in Italian a live, running-around chicken is "un galletto", whereas the dead, ready-to-eat variety is "un pollo", and "pollo" also denotes a ... well, a drongo. (I might have got that wrong - A/D, a noted Italian scholar, might like to help me out here.)
Anyway, I also believe that "Drongo" was the name of a long-dead racehorse who consistently failed his backers' expectations by always managing to stuff things up and finish at the back of the field, no matter how favourable a start he got. I think he was the real origin of the term.
The word can be wonderfully expressive when delivered with the right mix of contempt and resignation. Pity that it's not much used any more.
Jul 19th, 2005, 04:56 AM
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Oh Neil, you're so right, but wouldn't you have to put a bet on a horse called Drongo, just for the name? For those who are interested the spangled drongo (bird) is alive and well on most of eastern coastal Australia and around top of Top End. But its a far cry from a galah which is a highly intelligent member of the cockatoo family, I've lived with one for about 9 years, an extremely wily and cunning creature, lovable when it suits him. "Ya bloody galah" or "ya bloody drongo" are certainly two older Oz expressions meaning "ya flamin' dickhead", but its a bit unfair on the galah, which certainly shows a lot more intelligence, at least to humans, than the poor old drongo.
Jul 20th, 2005, 09:25 AM
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My wife and I stopped twice in one day, once in the morning and once in the early evening, specifically to see Dinky. He wasn't there either time. Something about him going to town for a funeral. So they said. They should start taking reservations for Dinky.
Jul 20th, 2005, 10:58 PM
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LOL, what DO they put in your drinks??? Never, and I mean never, have I found so much humour than listening to or reading the comments from all of you raised in Australia. No wonder I found my dad such a joy!
As OWJ said "the things you learn on Fodors"!
As OWJ said "the things you learn on Fodors"!
Jul 21st, 2005, 12:25 AM
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A/D - chiaro, ho capito. Grazie tante. (And that's all the Italian you'll get out of me today...)
I'll thrash this out with my former Italian teacher if I can find him (last heard of he was doing what any respectable Italian would do when he got sick of teaching, i.e. running a local catering business.
LoveItaly, the fact is that really we're a pretty morose bunch, but some of us like to lighten up our day by pretending otherwise on Fodors. Personally, I morphed into being a grumpy old man when I was about 27 (hm - that's interesting - wasn't that when I got married?)
I'll thrash this out with my former Italian teacher if I can find him (last heard of he was doing what any respectable Italian would do when he got sick of teaching, i.e. running a local catering business.
LoveItaly, the fact is that really we're a pretty morose bunch, but some of us like to lighten up our day by pretending otherwise on Fodors. Personally, I morphed into being a grumpy old man when I was about 27 (hm - that's interesting - wasn't that when I got married?)
Jul 21st, 2005, 02:50 PM
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loveitaly,
I hope you realize that Dinky is a real singing and piano playing dingo. Neil doubted re when I first bought Dinky to the attention of fodorians worldwide, but he actually found an ABC clip of an interview with Dinky after he won the 20th anniversary Trivial Pursuits prize for the Land Down Under. Perhaps he can be persuaded to dredge it up; puoi
trovarla , Niello?
AndrewDavid
ps what do you love about Italy; we are off to Napoli and Sicilia for our 25th anniversary on the 20 september
I hope you realize that Dinky is a real singing and piano playing dingo. Neil doubted re when I first bought Dinky to the attention of fodorians worldwide, but he actually found an ABC clip of an interview with Dinky after he won the 20th anniversary Trivial Pursuits prize for the Land Down Under. Perhaps he can be persuaded to dredge it up; puoi
trovarla , Niello?
AndrewDavid
ps what do you love about Italy; we are off to Napoli and Sicilia for our 25th anniversary on the 20 september
Jul 21st, 2005, 08:32 PM
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Certo! If you go to www.abc.net.au and search on "dinky the singing dingo" you'll get quite a few hits. Try http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/con...4/s1071228.htm for an article, and
www.abc.net.au/arts/adlib/stories/s1217269.htm for audio and video clips. I'm sure that Dinky would be hurt to know that the Australian version of Trivial Pursuit went looking for Australia's most trivial animal. For my money the neighbours' chihuaha would have the edge. My son's dog, which is part-dingo, licks her lips every time she sees it. (And did I ever tell you about the Canberra couple whose tomcat ate their chihuaha? True.)
A/D, do you mind if I defer answering your question until after I've visited Italy? Right now I have a lead on a nice, cheap (if that's not an oxymoron) rental in Perugia. Actually I try not to praise Italian things too much, as I don't want my Italian-Australian friends' heads to swell any further. I try to tell them that we Anglos can't cook because our ancestors were busy writing the Magna Carta, sending gunboats up African rivers, exploiting Indians, thrashing French armies and shipping convicts to Australia (someone had to do it) while their lot were lazing around eating gamberi, drinking frascati and writing Le Quattro Stagione, but they don't listen (have you ever tried to out-talk an Italian?)
www.abc.net.au/arts/adlib/stories/s1217269.htm for audio and video clips. I'm sure that Dinky would be hurt to know that the Australian version of Trivial Pursuit went looking for Australia's most trivial animal. For my money the neighbours' chihuaha would have the edge. My son's dog, which is part-dingo, licks her lips every time she sees it. (And did I ever tell you about the Canberra couple whose tomcat ate their chihuaha? True.)
A/D, do you mind if I defer answering your question until after I've visited Italy? Right now I have a lead on a nice, cheap (if that's not an oxymoron) rental in Perugia. Actually I try not to praise Italian things too much, as I don't want my Italian-Australian friends' heads to swell any further. I try to tell them that we Anglos can't cook because our ancestors were busy writing the Magna Carta, sending gunboats up African rivers, exploiting Indians, thrashing French armies and shipping convicts to Australia (someone had to do it) while their lot were lazing around eating gamberi, drinking frascati and writing Le Quattro Stagione, but they don't listen (have you ever tried to out-talk an Italian?)
Jul 22nd, 2005, 02:00 AM
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Hey NeilOz,
Does your galah swear? Our overseer Merv had one that hated the neighbour's kids (smart bird, they were little ratbags!) Every time the Killarney kids came over, "Smithy" would take off down the verandah after them. Flat chat, wings out, head down, yelling "Gerroudofit ya B**st**ds" and aiming straight for any exposed toes with the accuracy of a heat seeking missile.
His success rate wasn't too bad and once attached, was only dislodged with much shaking of limb accompanied by yelps of pain from the clearly unwelcome visitor.
Now, none of this mattered much. He didn't attack any of us and the kids' father wasn't too worried. He probably agreed with "Smithy".
Until the day Merv had a special visitor. Female. Small. Apple of Merv's eye and, we suspected, the object of amorous intent. All was apparently going well until they wandered out to watch the sunset.
Glass in hand, admiring the view, the fair damsel stepped out in delicate, strappy sandals. Onto the verandah.
Does your galah swear? Our overseer Merv had one that hated the neighbour's kids (smart bird, they were little ratbags!) Every time the Killarney kids came over, "Smithy" would take off down the verandah after them. Flat chat, wings out, head down, yelling "Gerroudofit ya B**st**ds" and aiming straight for any exposed toes with the accuracy of a heat seeking missile.
His success rate wasn't too bad and once attached, was only dislodged with much shaking of limb accompanied by yelps of pain from the clearly unwelcome visitor.
Now, none of this mattered much. He didn't attack any of us and the kids' father wasn't too worried. He probably agreed with "Smithy".
Until the day Merv had a special visitor. Female. Small. Apple of Merv's eye and, we suspected, the object of amorous intent. All was apparently going well until they wandered out to watch the sunset.
Glass in hand, admiring the view, the fair damsel stepped out in delicate, strappy sandals. Onto the verandah.
Jul 22nd, 2005, 04:51 AM
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Bokhara, you might be thinking of pat_woolford's galah? I do remember a geriatric, evil-tempered cockatoo owned by my grandmother in Brisbane for as long as anyone could remember. He had the alarming habit of darting out of the woodpile he lived in to inflict vicious wounds on anyone he didn't like (which was almost everyone). "Cocky" only ever took to the air once, but having no idea how to land, flew in ever-lower circles for hours until finally falling exhausted to earth. He died decades later, unlamented by everyone except Gran.
Jul 22nd, 2005, 03:17 PM
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Oh Bokhara, I know - anything to get away from the dreaded BAS! For some unknown reason my galah doesn't swear, but he has a vocab of about 40 words, plus a lot of indecipherable human sounding muttering, laughing and coughing. He also has a toe thing and scoots across the floor in a flash to attack both human and dog toes. I think they like to hear the screams, must be quite satisfying for them. He's fond of ears too, if he can get at them.
Jul 22nd, 2005, 03:22 PM
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Thanks Neil - "Smithy" survived; the romance didn't and Merv's sense of humour overcame any pangs of sympathy/remorse/embarassment which he might have had as he regaled us with the story, complete with action re-play.
There was a PS to the story. The girl in question went on to have 3 very profitable marriages & divorces in the next 10 or so years and became known as somewhat of a "gold digger".
So "Smithy" might have been a pretty good judge of character after all.
There was a PS to the story. The girl in question went on to have 3 very profitable marriages & divorces in the next 10 or so years and became known as somewhat of a "gold digger".
So "Smithy" might have been a pretty good judge of character after all.
