Sunday Scribblings # 150 ::: SPORTS

SPORTS


Gadzooks it's Sunday Scribblings 150th prompt … my last entry was at 123 …

Let’s talk about sports ... I’ve known a few … good sports!

Australian male’s calling each other sports began in WWII when Aussie soldiers, according to Sidney J Baker’s The Australian Language called each other “feller”, a form of fellow used mainly as a genial form of address, comparable to the use of “digger” or “mate”.

Reference to females as good sports probably began around the same time! The very un PC reference to a girl who was easy or loose, with the boys that is, led to these friendly your things, looking for love in all the wrong places, as being identified as a ‘good sport’ resulting in them being stigmatized by society.

In Queensland the northern state of Australia sport was used to describe an isolated coral outcrop.

Cyril Hopkins wrote a biographical notice of the life and work of Marcus Clarke where he wrote “If you invite a stranger to partake of supper, you say, “Hullo Mate! Come in and sport your Dover!”

As for sports, I’m a major sports fan! Whenever Australia is on any field, oval, running on to a major sporting venue, on the ocean, in the surf, on a tennis or race course, I’ll be seen wearing the green and gold screaming Aussie, Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi … but that’s as good a sport as I’ll be!