That Eye, the SkyWritten by Tim Winton

AUSTRAILIAN LINGO/ SLANG

CHOOK

• A chicken is called a chook in Australia.

• In That eye, the sky, the main character, Ort, has a chook named Errol.

ERROL

DUNNY

• A dunny is an outdoor bathroom, usually just a shack, sometimes with no electricity or running water.

• Errol lives on top of the dunny.

CROOK

• Crook means sick, badly made, or disabled.

• In my book, Ort’s dad gets in a car accident, and Ort calls him crook.

BIKKIES

• Bikkies are small biscuits that Australians eat. They are dry and sweet.

• In the book, they eat bikkies when they do communion in their house.

DAG

• A dag means a funny person, a nerd, or a goof.

• Like me.

TEA

• In Australia, it is not called dinner or supper like it is here. It is called ‘tea’ there.

• Ort has to feed his dad “tea” because his dad is so crook.

PREZZY

• A prezzy is a present in Australia.

• In my book, Henry leaves for awhile, and Ort thinks its to get them prezzys.

BITUMEN

• A bitumen is a paved or asphalt road in Australia, or the chemicals used to make asphalt.

• Ort’s dad was going too fast on the bitumen when he crashed.

MOZZIE

• Mozzie means mosquito in Australia.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UTE

• A truck, or utility vehicle.

• In the book, a ute is what Ort’s dad crashed in.