Macquarie Dictionary Blog: Archives
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Red tape
Mar 21, 2014 | 0 Comments
Prime Minister Abbott’s campaign against red tape prompted Dicko and Sarah at 2UE to wonder what exactly red tape was, who first used it, and did it always have a negative feeling to it.
Red tape was used in the British legal system in the late 1600s to bind up the briefs of private individuals, white tape being used for briefs from the Crown. Read more...
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Sunbeam
Mar 18, 2014 | 0 Comments
There has been some general discussion of 'the sunbeam' lately, that unused knife or fork or plate that will not trouble the washer-upper but can go straight back into the cupboard. The consensus is that it is an Australianism which the older generation recognise but which the younger generation does not. Read more...
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Cate Blanchett has caused a stir
Mar 05, 2014 | 0 Comments
Cate Blanchett has caused a stir, not only by winning her second Oscar but also by swearing in public. Make that CNN live around America and the rest of the world. That’s public. Read more... (language warning)
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