Maybe there are so many pejorative terms for female promiscuity because of the fear in times past that if the wife was not "pure" a man's heir might not be his own child. Purdah, chastity belts. In a local court case a suspicious father had the kids' DNA tested then took his wife to court to get back the money he'd paid out in child support, and disowned the kids.
This is a classic of Cockney rhyming slang. It originates from cobblers' awls, which are the pointed hand-tools that cobblers use to pierce holes in leather. The rhyme is with balls, or testicles.
The phrase is often reduced just to cobblers, which is now considered an acceptable vulgarism, as many may not be aware of its origin.
Never, ever heard anyone in Australia call anyone a morepork, so as far as this being a term of abuse someone's kidding someone. Here's a poem that mentions mopokes.
Comments by pamelad
pamelad commented on the list there-s-a-glass-of-punch-below-your-feet-and-an-angel-at-your-head
paralytic, tired and emotional
February 28, 2007
pamelad commented on the word comedogenic
Amuses you as it blocks your pores.
February 26, 2007
pamelad commented on the word text
To send an SMS. Past tense texted is very clumsy.
Something studied in a high school English class, could be a film or a comic.
February 26, 2007
pamelad commented on the list amber-words
Escutcheons only come with blots.
February 26, 2007
pamelad commented on the list it-s-a-man-s-world
Maybe there are so many pejorative terms for female promiscuity because of the fear in times past that if the wife was not "pure" a man's heir might not be his own child. Purdah, chastity belts. In a local court case a suspicious father had the kids' DNA tested then took his wife to court to get back the money he'd paid out in child support, and disowned the kids.
February 26, 2007
pamelad commented on the list it-s-a-man-s-world
Wanker, tool
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the list it-s-a-man-s-world
A bit tenuous, but continues the stupidity theme.
A load of cobblers
Meaning
Nonsense, rubbish.
Origin
This is a classic of Cockney rhyming slang. It originates from cobblers' awls, which are the pointed hand-tools that cobblers use to pierce holes in leather. The rhyme is with balls, or testicles.
The phrase is often reduced just to cobblers, which is now considered an acceptable vulgarism, as many may not be aware of its origin.
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the list it-s-a-man-s-world
Cock up - to make a mess of something
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the list it-s-a-man-s-world
Dickheads and dickwits are stupid men. Do they count as male-oriented words describing the negative?
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the word lairise
hoon around
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the word mozz
to cause bad luck e.g. to mozz someone
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the word mozzie
mosquito
February 25, 2007
pamelad commented on the list hogwash
codswallop
February 23, 2007
pamelad commented on the word whinge
moan and whine
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word blue
Nick name for a person with red hair.
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word buckley's chance
There used to be a department store in Melbourne - Buckley and Nunn. You've got Buckley's means - "you've got two chances, Buckley's and none."
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word sciolist
a false pretender to knowledge
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word big note
Big note yourself - brag, make yourself seem important
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word homodox
of the same opinion
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word pleistodox
holding the opinion of the majority
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word adoxal
absurd, not according to reason
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word cacodox
holding a wrong or evil opinion
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word doxastic
depending on or exercising opinion
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word doxographer
one who collects and records the opinions of others
February 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word morepork
Never, ever heard anyone in Australia call anyone a morepork, so as far as this being a term of abuse someone's kidding someone. Here's a poem that mentions mopokes.
http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/denniscj/bookforkids/hist.html
February 14, 2007
pamelad commented on the list scripted-apathy
Definitely. I take your point.
February 10, 2007
pamelad commented on the word pot
10 oz glass, usually of beer.
February 9, 2007
pamelad commented on the word ask
In Australia we say ahsk and mispronounce it ahks. Like arsk in Boston (Thanks AbraxasZugswang).
February 9, 2007
pamelad commented on the word schedule
More than it schould?
February 7, 2007
pamelad commented on the word squatter
We still have the squattocracy in the western distict - remember Malcolm Fraser? Life wasn't meant to be easy.
February 7, 2007
pamelad commented on the word source
Source of the Nile - fine. To source something, rather than finding it or buying it, is no good at all.
January 30, 2007
pamelad commented on the word daks
Trousers e.g. trackie daks - tracksuit pants
January 23, 2007
pamelad commented on the list pants-related-words
Shorts, pedal pushers, trackie daks
January 23, 2007
pamelad commented on the word bushwhacker
An unsophisticated person from the bush or.....
January 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word bush
The bush is the countryside - hence bushwhacking.
January 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word melbourne
pronounced melb'n
January 17, 2007
pamelad commented on the word hack
Cough. A tired old horse. Computer hacking. Chop carelessly.
January 16, 2007
pamelad commented on the word fag
Can't be fagged - can't be bothered. Fagged out - tired.
January 16, 2007
pamelad commented on the list words-some-people-can-t-pronounce-no-matter-how-often-they-try
Anemone often ends up as anenome. Hydrangeas - hyderanges. And instead of a frangipani, my grandma had a fransypansy.
January 15, 2007
pamelad commented on the word maroon
Maroon the colour is pronounced marone here in Australia. In the US?
January 15, 2007
pamelad commented on the word featherstonehaugh
An English surname pronounced fanshaw
January 15, 2007
pamelad commented on the word interface
A horrible word as a noun and even worse as a verb.
January 11, 2007
pamelad commented on the word polly
politician
January 1, 2007
pamelad commented on the word sickie
To drop a sickie - take a day off work, officially due to illness
January 1, 2007
pamelad commented on the word transpontine
on the other side of a bridge
December 25, 2006
pamelad commented on the list stuffie-picking-up-the-pieces
How can you mend a broken heart?
December 21, 2006
pamelad commented on the word spaghettification
the process by which an object would be stretched and ripped apart by gravitational forces on falling into a black hole
December 20, 2006
pamelad commented on the list corporate-buzz-words-and-phrases
Watson's Dictionary of Weasel Words by Don Watson is very entertaining on corporate and other weasel words. www.weaselwords.com.au
December 20, 2006
pamelad commented on the word doily
Found with the antimacassar and the aspidistra.
December 19, 2006
pamelad commented on the list you-say-either
you say ducktor
December 19, 2006
pamelad commented on the list you-say-either
Schedule as in shed, not sked.
December 19, 2006
pamelad commented on the word tinnie
can (tin) of beer
December 19, 2006
pamelad commented on the word stubby
small bottle of beer
December 19, 2006
pamelad commented on the word texta
felt marker pen
December 19, 2006
pamelad commented on the list meanings-have-changed-over-the-years-either-due-to-trends-or-sheer-stupidity
facility
December 18, 2006
pamelad commented on the list a-bit-old-fashioned
scallywag
December 17, 2006
pamelad commented on the list words-some-people-can-t-pronounce-no-matter-how-often-they-try
Words that sound so differently from the way they're written: banal, macabre, segue
December 17, 2006
pamelad commented on the word antimacassar
Antimacassars, thought to be extinct, are breeding in twee B&B's.
December 14, 2006
pamelad commented on the list sans-prefix
fer
December 13, 2006
pamelad commented on the list sans-prefix
nominy, poplectic
December 13, 2006
pamelad commented on the list sans-prefix
crepit, dain, prave
December 13, 2006
pamelad commented on the word dag
A dag has more personality than a nerd.
December 12, 2006
pamelad commented on the word ratbag
An Australian term of abuse - not as bad as it sounds. Can be used jovially.
December 12, 2006
pamelad commented on the list i-don-t-give-a-damn
mercy, faith, hope, charity, grace, rock (as in hudson), rip (as in Rip Torn), dale
December 12, 2006
pamelad commented on the list djp72-s-words
you little beauty!
December 11, 2006
pamelad commented on the word strewth
Alternative spelling struth. Think it might be short for God's truth. It's an exclamation of incredulity.
December 11, 2006
pamelad commented on the word cow cockie
dairy farmer
December 10, 2006
pamelad commented on the word woop woop
A place a long way from anywhere. Like "back of Bourke".
December 10, 2006
pamelad commented on the user bobfet1
Glad you liked dramaturd bobfet1. Hope you can ease it into a conversation.
December 10, 2006
pamelad commented on the word dramaturg
I always read this as dramaturd.
December 9, 2006
pamelad commented on the list meanings-have-changed-over-the-years-either-due-to-trends-or-sheer-stupidity
fabulous
Nice as in a "nice distinction"
December 9, 2006
pamelad commented on the list urrbody-in-the-club-get
paralytic
December 8, 2006
pamelad commented on the list prone-to-confusion-misspelling
incongruous incongruent
December 8, 2006
pamelad commented on the list inconceivable-the-most-misused-words
icon
I'm sick of icons and things that are iconic. Icons are everywhere.
December 8, 2006
pamelad commented on the word dissentering
disinterring? unburying
December 7, 2006
pamelad commented on the list fun-word-phrases
To shilly-shally is to dither, vacillate. Nice to see it in your list. It's a verb.
December 7, 2006
pamelad commented on the list speaking-in-tongues
deja vu
December 7, 2006
pamelad commented on the list fun-word-phrases
shilly-shally
December 7, 2006
pamelad commented on the list words-noir
moll, stool pigeon, gat, private eye, dick
December 7, 2006
pamelad commented on the list sleight-of-hand
lift, con, shaft
Are they too slangy?
December 7, 2006
pamelad commented on the list d-is-for-depressing
dismay, despair, defeated, debauched
December 6, 2006
pamelad commented on the list meanings-have-changed-over-the-years-either-due-to-trends-or-sheer-stupidity
hopefully, want, awesome, awful, enormity
December 4, 2006
pamelad commented on the list words-some-people-can-t-pronounce-no-matter-how-often-they-try
secretary
December 4, 2006
pamelad commented on the word habadashery
haberdashery?
December 4, 2006
pamelad commented on the list olde-fashyned-slang
From Australia: grouse(very good), zac (sixpence), bonzer.
December 4, 2006
pamelad commented on the list for-me-not-to-overuse-when-public-speaking
like
December 2, 2006
pamelad commented on the list words-some-people-can-t-pronounce-no-matter-how-often-they-try
ask (aks) government umbrella (umberella)
December 2, 2006
pamelad commented on the list place-names-that-are-fun-to-say
Woy Woy (New South Wales?)
Spike Milligan's mother lived there.
December 2, 2006