Glossary of terms

Rule of Three is a series of stories set on the Gold Coast, Australia, so it uses Australian English. I’ve set out some of the definitions of terms you might not have heard before. If you come across more, let me know and I’ll try to explain our slang. Here they are:

Arvo – afternoon

Barbie – barbecue. Outdoor griller for meats

Cockroach supporter – one of those sad sacks who support the New South Wales Blues (or Cockroaches) in the Origin

Dole – financial aid paid by the Australian government for people who are out of work

Esky – a cooler for drinks and food that you fill with ice

Footy – rugby league, a full contact sport played between two teams for two forty minute halves where the objective is to score more than the other team by carrying the ball over the ‘try line’ and, after making a try, kicking the ball between the posts to add an extra two points to the score (called a conversion)

Goldie – Gold Coast

Kitchen bench – kitchen counter or countertop

Mobile – cell phone

Origin – a footy match between New South Wales and the almighty Queensland Maroons (or Cane Toads) in which Queensland kicks New South Wales arses regularly (because we’re that much better 😉 ). With every year’s competition, the entire state of New South Wales whinges about how the referees unfairly gave away too many penalties to Queensland (they don’t—we’re just better. The record doesn’t lie—since 2000, Queensland has won thirteen of the eighteen series)

Pj’s – pyjamas

Saltie – saltwater crocodile

Smoko break – morning or afternoon tea

Snags – sausages

Starkers – naked

Straddie – South Stradbroke Island, a sand island that forms the eastern most boundary of the Broadwater on the Gold Coast

The King – Wally ‘The King’ Lewis. The King is known as Queensland’s greatest ever Origin player captaining the Maroons in 30 matches

Thongs – flip flops

Track pants – sweats

Tough Mudder – one of the world’s toughest mud runs. See https://toughmudder.com.au/ for the Aussie version

Ute – a pickup truck