This week we are cruising around the traps. Relax, we haven’t set an ambush for you, rather, the traps refer to any place you frequent, as in I’ve seen him around the traps. Aussie slang since the 1930s, the traps originally referred to a route along which a person had laid traps which they then habitually visited to collect the game that had been caught.
To go round the traps means to visit the places where people gather and talk in the hope of getting information, or more specifically, gossip.
Australian English features a plethora of place related slang words. A hang, short for hang-out, is a place you frequent. Unlike the much-frequented traps and hangs, the arse end of the world is a thoroughly hideous place that you don’t want to visit often. Even worse is the arse end of the universe. You’re unlikely to visit Bullamakanka either, because it’s an imaginary remote town.
And have you ever visited kickastickalong? If not, read all about the eponymous Australia town in our blog.
Each week, we have a look at a slang word from Australian English. You can see other Aussie Word of the Week posts from the Macquarie Dictionary here.
