by Mark Gwynn
One of the most unsatisfying aspects of researching and writing a dictionary entry is not being able to determine the origin of a word. The study of a word’s history and origin—its etymology—is just one part of the dictionary-maker’s task. Often the etymology of a word can be readily identified: it may derive from another word, a particular language, or the name of a person, a place, or a product. Take the Australian English word dunny (a toilet) for example. It derives from a British dialect word dunnekin (a privy), and is probably ultimately derived from a combination of dung (faeces) and ken (a house). How do we arrive at this conclusion?
A number of approaches are used in identifying a word’s origin. The first step is to look for the word (or a variant of it) in lexical reference material including dictionaries, glossaries, and studies of language. The word dunny does not appear in early lexicons but the close synonym dunnekin appears in Joseph Wright’s English Dialect Dictionary (1895-1905). With the aid of online databases we can find evidence for dunnekin in the mid-19th century and evidence for dunny in the 1930s. The logical connection in form and meaning of these two words, and our understanding of the history of British dialect words in Australia, make dunnekin a very likely source for dunny. Add to this the chronology of the two terms (dunnekin predates dunny), and the common linguistic practice in Australian English of abbreviating a word, and adding the -ie or -y ending. Based on the evidence, we can be reasonably certain this is the origin of dunny.
For a number of words the usual resources do not provide any clues. It may be a result of looking in the wrong place, or the word may be rare, or only encountered in speech. When we reach a dead end we often consult lexicographer colleagues, historians, linguists, and other relevant specialists. Today we also have recourse to social media; crowdsourcing has now become an option for the baffled etymologist.
Here is one such baffling problem. In recent research I came across an unfamiliar term: Sam Tick. It appears in a small-town Victorian newspaper during the First World War. The article is a series of journal entries by Private Garnet Rundle, describing army life on board a transport ship bound for Egypt. He comments that, on one Saturday, he ‘did some more “Sam Tick”, hung it out to dry on the boat deck, and had a sleep from quarter to 3 till 6’. (Terang Express, 15 January 1915) The term is used several times and its final appearance in the article confirms that Sam Tick means ‘laundry’: ‘Did my final “Sam Tick”—on boat at any rate. Gee! I’m not aspiring for laundry honors any more!’.
Soldier slang is prominent in Australian English in the years during and after the First World War. There are several glossaries and word lists recording soldier slang of the period, but none include Sam Tick. No other major historical or slang dictionaries include it, and no evidence appears in online databases or lexical resources. The Internet is equally unforthcoming. So is this a word invented by Private Rundle, or a word so rarely used it doesn’t appear in the written record? Or is it just a bad day at the office for me?
I have considered several other possibilities. One of my colleagues suggested it could be a rhyming slang term. Rhyming slang is well attested in Australian English, but does Sam Tick lend itself to a rhyme with something concerning laundry? Nothing occurs to me. Perhaps it is a play on a word associated with laundry, such as a washing detergent, or a brand or company name? Was there a historical person with the name Sam Tick who, through some association with laundry, or via rhyming slang, lent their name to this term? My initial research has uncovered nothing.
This is where social media can be useful. Please help! Does anyone know the term Sam Tick? Have you heard or seen it before in any context? Am I missing something obvious about the origin of this word? If anyone can add to our knowledge about Sam Tick I would welcome their contribution. Become an etymologist for an hour, a day, or longer if you like.
Now it’s time for me to hang out the Sam Tick before the sun goes down.