Dinkum

Dinkum: Genuine. Smart. Excellent. An Australian term, said to have been current formerly in Lincolnshire with the meaning "honest." In the sense of "genuine" the word "Dinkum" in the War on one occasion proved the undoing of an enemy spy. It was on Gallipoli. Two Australian officers were talking in a trench, when a third, apparently a major, joined and advised them not to fire in a certain direction as patrols were out there. Doubting the statement, and noting a detail wrong in the major's uniform, one of the Australians asked: "Are you fair Dinkum?" "That's right," was the reply, "I am Major Fair Dinkum." He was shot dead on the spot.[1]

References / notes

  1. Edward Fraser and John Gibbons (1925). Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases. Routledge, London p.77.

Glossary of words and phrases

The above term is listed in our glossary of words and phrases of the Armed Forces of Great Britain during the Great War. Included are trench slang, service terms, expressions in everyday use, nicknames, the titles and origins of British and Commonwealth Regiments, and warfare in general. These words and phrases are contemporary to the war, which is reflected in the language used. They have been transcribed from three primary sources (see Contents). Feel free to expand upon and improve this content.
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