(v) To leave, go away from, depart, abandon
(Orig 1998 Vic. After the consumption of fermented sugars. Has since experienced some acceptance in the central west.)
It seems the word was introduced to the modern Australian vernacular by Mr Allan Kerr of Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia and can be traced through the Kerr clan for centuries.
I first heard it as "Defongerlate" from Charlie Stevens who was one of the Rats of Tobruk during WWII. He said it meant leaving without announcing it e.g., at a boring party you could pretend to go to the loo but then disappear out the front door without a fuss.
Samuel Leonard Colbran was using the word in 1935, the same meaning. His grandson says he said he made up the world and wanted to make it a real word in common parlance.
I heard this word from my father in law many years ago. He was an ex Desert Rat, tank commander. His background was UK and possibly gypsy from North Shields area. It must be relative to army or similar as its been associated with a few now? I use it when reminiscing and its meaning is to leave. Or get out of a place I was told.
My father Bert used the word defonerate regularly in the 1960s to 1990s so I assumed it was an actual word and used it all the time myself until a friend laughed, saying it wasn’t a real word. I was just telling my kids now about it and they look it up and found this blog. Haha
My mother always said she was going to defongerate when she was going to bed and I thought she just made that word up obviously not . This was about 50years ago
19 Comments:
I'm smiling and nodding.
:-)
That's a relief!
It seems the word was introduced to the modern Australian vernacular by Mr Allan Kerr of Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia and can be traced through the Kerr clan for centuries.
Its been around for years, goes back to the early eighties
Dear Know-nothing,
Centuries are before the eighties even the early eighties. So Jammit.
I first heard it as "Defongerlate" from Charlie Stevens who was one of the Rats of Tobruk during WWII. He said it meant leaving without announcing it e.g., at a boring party you could pretend to go to the loo but then disappear out the front door without a fuss.
I remember using this word at scout camps in the mid 1950's in Victoria
Brian Walters SEO
Mr Allan Kerr must defongerate now :)
ps. he is not to be trusted
It was a common term with the apprentices at the MMBW in the early 1970's so it must be older than that.
Used in 1960's mystery by Arthur W Upfield, "The Battling Prophet", with Austrlian Outback setting, pg 183.
First came across it from my father in about 1950. Same meaning
My Dad used it on me just then, he is 92! He has known of it since he was a boy:-)
Samuel Leonard Colbran was using the word in 1935, the same meaning. His grandson says he said he made up the world and wanted to make it a real word in common parlance.
I heard this word from my father in law many years ago.
He was an ex Desert Rat, tank commander.
His background was UK and possibly gypsy from North Shields area.
It must be relative to army or similar as its been associated with a few now?
I use it when reminiscing and its meaning is to leave. Or get out of a place I was told.
The comment to leave without announcement has also been used by him especially at parties, which he loathed.
My father Bert used the word defonerate regularly in the 1960s to 1990s so I assumed it was an actual word and used it all the time myself until a friend laughed, saying it wasn’t a real word. I was just telling my kids now about it and they look it up and found this blog. Haha
Agree except in my version, the book was copyrighted 1956.
My mother always said she was going to defongerate when she was going to bed and I thought she just made that word up obviously not . This was about 50years ago
That’s my understanding. We used it towards “mates” who were nowhere to be seen when it came to their shout.
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