Trekking not bushwalking

[sup3rk1w1]

I hate that the use of the word bushwalking is dwindling. Everyone refers to it as hiking now. We go bushwalking in Australia not hiking! We should be proud of our unique word.

I find myself saying "hiking" more often than "bushwalking". The latter seems so...hokey. Usually I hang on to Australianisms rather than succumb to bland internationalisms, but not this time.

But whatever...language changes and life goes on. C'est la vie and vive la différence!

I work in a retail store that sells some outdoor gear. Don't think I've heard anyone under 30 say "bushwalking". That said, I'm from NZ, and it's been hard to let go of 'tramping'. We do get older seasoned types in, and they all seem to have "walked" the Camino de Santiago, or "trekked" in Nepal.
As an avid reader, with a broad repertoire of language compared to most folks, dumbing down what I'm saying and using internationalisms has become a way of life.

[grunter]

Just been reading "Jack Thwaites" book.It mentions "Hiking" in 1956 when JT was elected to the Royal Geographical Society of London. Part quote "Bush-walking and Hiking Youth Organisations of Tasmania". So not a new term? Agree hiking is widely used nowadays.

[Warin]

As an avid reader, with a broad repertoire of language compared to most folks, dumbing down what I'm saying and using internationalisms has become a way of life.

We are loosing the diversity of 'our' language.

Anyone for some 'tinned dog'? Or some 'dead horse' on your meat pie/sausage roll?

[Equivocator]

I always thought Cockney rhyming slang was more a british thing? Late 30's and can't work out the 'tinned dog' reference.
You'd have to pay extra these days for the dead horse, and it only comes in tiny little packets...

[stry]

As an avid reader, with a broad repertoire of language compared to most folks, dumbing down what I'm saying and using internationalisms has become a way of life.

We are loosing the diversity of 'our' language.

Anyone for some 'tinned dog'? Or some 'dead horse' on your meat pie/sausage roll?

I dunno - the widespread use of "loose" when what is meant is "lose" is certainly diverse use of language.

[north-north-west]

I'm 63 and have never heard "tinned dog", nor can I work out to what it might refer.

[Baeng72]

I'm 63 and have never heard "tinned dog", nor can I work out to what it might refer.

Me neither. I'm pushing 50.
But found this:
TINNED DOG - canned meat (goldfields)

https://www.jenwilletts.com/australian_slang.html

[Warin]

I'm 63 and have never heard "tinned dog", nor can I work out to what it might refer.

Sad. Gota keep the language alive or it 'ill die out and become TV language.

There is a mural in a Tumut pub, shows bushrangers with 6 shooters. they never had 6 shooters .. they had pistols... if they wanted more than one shot they stuck extras into their belts ... and sometimes those went off accidentally.

[GregG]

I agree with your sentiment Warin but would disagree with your assertion that Bushrangers only used single shot pistols. For example, Ned Kelly is often depicted with a pair of Navy Colts, six shot cap and ball revolvers, damn fine pistols for a gunfight with the traps. Maybe your Tumut bushrangers were from an earlier time?

[Warin]

I agree with your sentiment Warin but would disagree with your assertion that Bushrangers only used single shot pistols. For example, Ned Kelly is often depicted with a pair of Navy Colts, six shot cap and ball revolvers, damn fine pistols for a gunfight with the traps. Maybe your Tumut bushrangers were from an earlier time?

I am retelling something I was told by an Australian Historian. From a little googling it looks like Kelly got his guns from the Police... I'd think most bushrangers would also get more guns by taking them from people, most people would have had cheap guns .. single shot pistols??? I'd think few bushrangers would go after the Police.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Bushwalking Victoria as an organization is not going to change its name in a hurry.

[GregG]

Bushwalking Victoria yo!

[Kickinghorse]

And at the expense of dredging up past debate, as far as I’m concerned the term “Trail” will never supplant Track in the Australian vernacular. The former being an adoptive term of the US. E.G the Oregon Trail. I suspect track may sound a little Less sophisticated to prospective walkers.
For example, The Road to Gundagai- “ There’s a track winding back to an old fashioned shack.” Etc etc.

Phil

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Meh trail, track, trek, route, bushwalking, hiking, tramping, trekking, bushwhacking, roaming, rambling blah blah.... does it matter?

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[Baeng72]

Meh trail, track, trek, route, bushwalking, hiking, tramping, trekking, bushwhacking, roaming, rambling blah blah.... does it matter?

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Prescriptivist. Descriptivist. We're all some kind of 'ist.
(I should add a terrible dad joke after that: 'I hate all people who generalize')

[Neo]

yep it matters.

Go somewhere you might be hiking.

Go in Australia, you are bushwalking.

That's what it is, go forth

[Baeng72]

yep it matters.

Go somewhere you might be hiking.

Go in Australia, you are bushwalking.

That's what it is, go forth

You're a prescriptivist then. (No negative connotation implied).

[Neo]

Nup i just bushwalk, or get about.

See your GP for a script of this good stuff

[Baeng72]

Nup i just bushwalk, or get about.

See your GP for a script of this good stuff

I have a broken bone in my foot. My GP specifically advised against said good stuff.

And you're a prescriptivist. (it's not a moral judgement, just a description, ironically).

prescriptivist (plural prescriptivists) Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... criptivist

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

yep it matters.

Go somewhere you might be hiking.

Go in Australia, you are bushwalking.

That's what it is, go forth

I go "bushwalking", which I guess makes me a prescriptivist too. My point is that I don't care what parlance other people use to describe it. And getting tied in knots about how other people do describe things is both pointless and a little entitled really. So no, it doesn't matter.

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[Kickinghorse]

WFBW, not quite.

prescriptivist (plural prescriptivists) Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.

This article has parallels to us as well and is worth a read.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/201 ... h-language

Phil

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

WFBW, not quite.

prescriptivist (plural prescriptivists) Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.

This article has parallels to us as well and is worth a read.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/201 ... h-language

Phil

Ah yes, guess I'm not then haha. And yes a good read

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[nezumi]

WFBW, not quite.

prescriptivist (plural prescriptivists) Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.

This article has parallels to us as well and is worth a read.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/201 ... h-language

Phil

I love that their go-to "Americanism" phrase is about a decaf soy latte - latte being a quintessentially American word, and not at all the Italian word for "milk"...

[rcaffin]

We are bushwalkers. Period.

decaf soy latte
That is not even coffee. Yuk.

Cheers
Roger

[Lamont]

Period?
Not full stop?

[Plod]

I tend to think it doesn’t matter too much, the main thing is to get out there and enjoy the outdoors and all the good that goes with it. Call it what you want as long as you make the time to do it. That said, George Orwell’s 1984 reminds me that language does matter and we should resist any efforts that take us towards being ok with “double plus ungood”!

[Neo]

Nup i just bushwalk, or get about.

See your GP for a script of this good stuff

I have a broken bone in my foot. My GP specifically advised against said good stuff.

And you're a prescriptivist. (it's not a moral judgement, just a description, ironically).

prescriptivist (plural prescriptivists) Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... criptivist

I wouldn't say that I 'lay down rules' I would think that I am more flexible and open to discussion than that.

As a friend said, without language you dont have a culture. It is my Australian language.

I also use the words hike and trek at times.

[juxtaposer]

Although there has been a resurgence in use of the old term 'hiking' since the advent of the internet, I don't think the term 'bushwalking' will ever fall completely from use in Australia, at least not by bushwalkers. Remember that the first people to refer to themselves as bushwalkers in the early part of the 20th century wanted to distinguish themselves as people who did something that hikers generally don't, i.e. off track walking. Does anyone ever say they've been 'hiking' through thick scrub? Doesn't sound right.

[crollsurf]

Although there has been a resurgence in use of the old term 'hiking' since the advent of the internet, I don't think the term 'bushwalking' will ever fall completely from use in Australia, at least not by bushwalkers. Remember that the first people to refer to themselves as bushwalkers in the early part of the 20th century wanted to distinguish themselves as people who did something that hikers generally don't, i.e. off track walking. Does anyone ever say they've been 'hiking' through thick scrub? Doesn't sound right.

According to Milo Dunphy, according to Dr Melissa Harper, bushwalking is even more elite than that, Bushwalkers are "professional" walkers, hikers are amateur.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/overnights/the-history-of-bushwalking-in-australia/12957498

And there I was thinking I was bushwalking for all these years

[Lamont]

I can't remember a time recently when I didn't hear hike/r.

It's 2031 your grandchild says;

"Nan tell me about the old days, were things really different ?"
(Narelle is wearing her school uniform-a QAnon tshirt, a MAGA (Make Australis Great Again) cap with Morrison's face on it-he's the governor of the official latest state of the US-Australis).
"Well Narelle we used to speak Australian"
"You mean we had words that were different to other places?"
"Yes it was a language that made us a little bit special and that little bit different to other countries"
"Oh Nan you've been at the Sherry again haven't you!"
"Narelle it's true !"
"it's only nine o'clock in the morning Nan!"