bare-bellied Joe

English

Alternative forms
  • bare-belly joe
  • bare-belly Joe

Etymology

Variant of bare-bellied yoe (dialectal form of ewe), with final /d/ of bellied joining with initial /j/ of yeo to form /d͡ʒ/.

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun

bare-bellied Joe (plural bare-bellied Joes)

  1. (informal, Australia) A ewe with little or no wool on its belly, therefore requiring less time to shear.

Usage notes
  • The formerly common term is now most widely known (in various forms) from the lyrics of the traditional folk song Click Go The Shears.[1]

References
  1. James Lambert The Macquarie Australian Slang Dictionary (Sydney: Macquarie Library) 2004, page 12.
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