August 20 2011
Locale Heroes
Could be a book in this – one of those jokey counter-pack Xmas things, full of Tamworthies, Footscrapers, Port Lincolnpoops and Swan Hillbillies. Won’t sell many units, but this Storm had legs. Any town or burb had potential, and you guys mined it.
To find the best, I looked for three things – utterability, originality and a neat fit to the locality. But still the final measure-up was a task. Yet such is the mantle of blog-honcho, and here is how the demographics played out. First the shortlist, then the winners:
Perthlings [RM gets us off to a rollicking start]
Cessnockers & Brokers [The Hunter falls prey to SK’s wit]
Thredbogans [SK again. On the piste]
Ballarodentia [The more I think about Nib’s tack, the wider I grin.]
Bendigoers [Nib again, casting aspersions]
Mount Beauticians [Apres Boniface]
Coburgers [Better chances of finding a kebab, Em]
Werribeings [Another gem from Em]
Frankstoners [Make that three – this only missed the podium due to a footy team by the same name. Otherwise sublime.]
Colackies [Just tell that to Luke Hodge’s face, Em]
Creek Tenants [Couldn’t resist. My own fave.]
Malleefactors [At his best, Mauve elasticises English]
Salespersons [Ker-ching, LR]
Closely followed by RobtT’s Mosmen
Tooraketeers & Fitzroyalty [JD wreaks havoc with the Melways. This last zinger also has a prior life on Google – so applause but no bling.]
BRONZE MEDAL to dg for saluting one precinct’s claim to palindromic fame, by asking the question: Would someone from Glenelg be a Reglenelger?
SHARED SILVER to two glorious ideas, both capturing spirit of place. That’s RobT for Hobartists, and Em for Mildurables. The boheme and the fruit blocker: brilliant work.
GOLD MEDAL to Mauve for a renegade tangent, a comical creation and nailing the chichi excess of coastal Sydney. Look no further than Coogeecoogeecoos.
A mighty Storm, and a splendid directory. Let’s go equal share in the book’s royalties, and splurge our profits on a Kings Crossword. Till next tempest –
Comments
RobT — 20 August at 10:56AM
Wow! Sharing a podium with Em! I am in measured company.
Nib — 20 August at 02:45PM
Reglenelger is my fave, though many chortles all around.
DA2 — 20 August at 03:24PM
Apols to SK - his two entries should read Cessnockers and
Thredbogans.
Damn spell checker -
SK — 21 August at 04:26PM
No probs DA.
I was wondering (too late) whether Cooberpedy is full of Cooberpediatricians?
Em — 21 August at 04:26PM
It's just a shame we were RobT of the gold!
Not at all. Coogeecoogeecoos was my laugh-out-loud favourite as well, closely followed by Fitzroyalty.
And as well as sharing silver, I share credit for Frankstoners with JD, who posted the same suggestion while mine was stuck in spam-filter-land.
JD — 21 August at 07:34PM
Thanks Em, must be a case of great minds.....
I thought I was going a little bit mad when your post turned up after mine with the same entry. And Fitzroyalty has been an interesting discovery.
Mauve — 22 August at 05:41PM
I am a Fitzrovian so I suppose that makes me Fitzroyalty. Thanks DA for honouring my Coogeecooge.........s
Loved all three of dg, RobT, and Em's and also Salespersons, Perthlings, Thredbogans, and Mount Beauticians - all of which I'll be plagiarising in future conversation.
Criseyde — 27 August at 02:44PM
While looking up 'Warren' for inspiration for
'Waz' in News Clues 25/8 found a Local Hero:
Sharan Burrow, current general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, former President ACTU and a host of other bodies, was born in Warren! She comes from a long line of active Burrows in Warren. I wonder what they call the other residents?
RobT — 27 August at 02:54PM
I shan't be going down that rabbit hole.
Criseyde — 27 August at 03:04PM
Probably wise ... very close to Nevertire.