Ok, it's been driving me nuts for a while. What the hey-ho-heck *does* "fair dinkum" mean?

I'm sure it's what the Russian's call 'bytovie' (loose trans: of or pertaining to life-- as in a particular area/place) but darned if I can figure it out. (sorry about the translation there, I don't have my dictionaries at lunch and no other word in English springs to mind for the concept). Maybe 'culturally dependent'?

Anyway, explanations welcome!

Cloudbringer

my guess is "good drink",anyone else wanna take a stab at it

I can help ! I can help !

I asked the same question by mail to Yorick about a month ago,
and here is his answer :

>Fair dinkum is an Australian term for truth. Depending on the context it can
>be substituted for "Your kidding?"
>"The genuine article" or even "Honest".

>"The waves were six foot? Fair dinkum?"

>"This is fair dinkum leather mate"
>or

>"You didn't steal his wallet? I don't think you're being fair dinkum..."

>I put it as my signature as a sort of secret handshake hello to other
>Australians as it's very common here but unused elsewhere. It screams "I'm
>Australian".

Call Ripley's, because believe it or not, I had a vague idea of what it meant. Not bad for a very untravelled bard!

Moiraine, thanks!

hmmmmm.....Sorta similar (by a stretch) to our "no way!" (as in , there is no way that's true/possible etc) and "way!" (yah,it is!)


Cloudbringer

Oh well, so much for the 'secret' part of the handshake

There you have it Cloudbringer!

Well, Yorick, it was not a secret, insofar as I knew the country of origin, just not the precise meaning!

Jet lag hit you yet? You are definitely more adventurous than I, dear Bard, staying with someone you met on the plane! That's spontaneity of a major kind.

hey Yorick you gotta alot of trust for new people but if something happens you have alot of witnesses(yes i don't have a clue)but i still haven't forgotten my leason of spelling Australia,keep in touch,buddy

(LOL) Yes I suppose it is Cloudbringer. Thanks. And thankyou Hellfire. You are a legend bro.