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Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Remember the Out House

Depending upon your age, you may have used one of these.
this little house is known as:

dunny - noun:- toilet or lavatory, originally an outside toilet or outhouse, now a generic term for the toilet regardless of location. Sometimes referred to as the Thunder Box! Different from the bathroom which really does contain a bath or shower for cleaning your personage.

loo - noun:- toilet

outhouse - noun:- toilet, dunny. Before modern sewage, the toilet was in it's own little "house" in the backyard. Hence out house.

thunder box - noun:- dunny, toilet.

toot - noun:- toilet
More Aussie Slang can be found here

Oops, Sorry!!

Don't waste the dunny paper.

My son couldn't believe that people actually used newspaper, and it wasn't for reading. Ouch!



We had an outside dunny on the farm where I grew up. It was a fair walk from my bedroom, down the passage, through the kitchen, turn on the back light and make my way down to the end of the verandah where there wasn't much light. I used to get scared when I had to go there, even though it was under the verandah and not in the paddock somewhere. It was usually full of busy spiders and mozzies at night. Ahhhh!

Redback On The Toilet Seat

There was a red-back on the toilet seat
When I was there last night,
I didn’t see him in the dark,
But boy! I felt his bite!
I jumped high up into the air,
And when I hit the ground,
That crafty red-back spider
Wasn’t nowhere to be found.

Chorus:There was a red-back on the toilet seat
When I was there last night,
I didn’t see him in the dark,
But boy! I felt his bite!
And now I’m here in hospital,
A sad and sorry plight,
And I curse that red-back spider
On the toilet seat last night.

I rushed into the missus,
Told her just where I’d been bit,
She grabbed the cut throat razor blade,
And I nearly took a fit.
I said, “Just forget what’s on your mind,
And call a doctor please,
‘Cause I’ve got a feeling that your cure,
is worse than the disease.”

I can’t lay down, I can’t sit up,
And I don’t know what to do,
And all the nurses think it’s funny,
But that’s not my point of view.
I tell you it’s embarrassing,(And that’s to say the least)
That I’m to sick to eat a bite,
While that spider had a feast!

And when I get back home again,
I tell you what I’ll do,
I’ll make that red-back suffer,
For the pain I’m going through.
I’ve had so many needles,
That I’m looking like a sieve,
And I promise you that spider,
hasn’t very long to live!

Slim Dusty had fun with this song although the original artist was Slim Newton. You can listen here for Slim Newton singing this song. I was hoping to find a better version, but this was all I could find.

5 comments:

  1. Yes one thinks of dunnies when one thinks of Redback Spiders. We had heaps last Summer, none yet. Too wet and cold still??
    We packed away our children's climbing gym as it was always covered in them.

    Thankyou for your wise, encouraging comment.

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  2. When we got married 21 years ago our local hall still had thunder boxes in them, they were the first time I saw them..Needless to say I went to the toilet at home a few times before I went to the hall(church)
    Now I want to put a modern kind of thunder box up at the Old Dairy, they say things will come back in fashion lol
    Mandy

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  3. My kids roll around laughing when they hear or sing this song.An Aussie classic

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  4. Hi Tania!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog! I have enjoyed yours, too - a call to a simpler life! Living remotely must be hard going, though. And from SA! I grew up in South Australia! Adelaide, though.
    I am keen to try those tuna patties from a while back - they look lovely.
    Have a lovely day,
    Catherine

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  5. Hi Tania,

    Thanks for dropping by my blog. It is great to "meet" another Port Augusta poster.
    My brother and sisters and I use to sing Red back on the toilet seat often and laugh our heads off.

    Therese

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Your comments really make my day. Thank you for taking the time and for being so kind.