bare-bellied Joe
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English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- bare-belly joe
- bare-belly Joe
Etymology[edit]
Variant of bare-bellied yoe (dialectal form of ewe), with final /d/ of bellied joining with initial /j/ of yeo to form /d͡ʒ/.
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun[edit]
bare-bellied Joe (plural bare-bellied Joes)
- (informal, Australia) A ewe with little or no wool on its belly, therefore requiring less time to shear.
Usage notes[edit]
- The formerly common term is now most widely known (in various forms) from the lyrics of the traditional folk song Click Go The Shears.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ James Lambert The Macquarie Australian Slang Dictionary (Sydney: Macquarie Library) 2004, page 12.