[Editor: This poem by C.H.O. was published in Truth (Sydney, NSW), 7 September 1924.]
Some Day They Will Hang:
All wowsers, killjoys, all intol’rant pests;
All scum that give them some excuse;
All sots whose weakness puts more vice in beer
Than honest hops could e’er produce;
All those with fishy, bulgy eyes; all youths
Who smell a cork and think they’re “shot”;
All politicians who are big and fat;
All politicians who are not;
All men whose front hair stretches greasily
To where their collars run behind;
All those who, having two good eyes to see,
Through indolence or fear are blind;
All women who wear corsets visibly;
Or short skirts with thick-ankled legs;
All those who, brilliant with the wine of life,
Can’t pity those who share its dregs;
All narrow-minded ones who’re sure whene’er
There’s any fun the devil’s in it;
All rotten souls who look for dirt, or make
It if it’s not, and revel in it;
All snobs who blatter patronisingly
About the “working classes”; all
Whose moral legs are so infirm that they,
Too weak to walk, prefer to crawl;
All nagging women and the husbands who
Are fools enough to let them nag;
All flappers with brown fingers and hard eyes;
All would-be-youthful, painted hags;
All disrespectful kids; all little beasts
Who think it weak to murmur “Thanks”;
All pestering people selling raffle slips;
All imitation, half-pi Yanks;
All liars, gigglers, Holy Joes; all sharks
Who live by land instead of sea;
All parasites; all pimps; all fools; and all
Fault-finding, livery cows like me.
— C.H.O.
Source:
Truth (Sydney, NSW), 7 September 1924, p. 9
Also published in:
Truth (Brisbane, Qld.), 26 October 1924, p. 10
Truth (Perth, WA), 28 March 1925, p. 1
Editor’s notes:
blatter = to chatter loudly, to speak fast and noisily; blather, prattle
cow = in historical Australian slang, a disrespectful and negative term for someone (usually regarding men); in modern slang, a reference to a disliked woman, especially one who is regarded as annoying, fat, lazy, nasty, stupid, or unpleasant; something which is unpleasant or objectionable (such as used in the phrase “a fair cow”); can also refer to: a large female adult mammal (regarding cattle especially, but also including others, e.g. elephants, seals, whales)
e’er = (vernacular) an archaic contraction of “ever”
flapper = a young woman, especially during the 1920s, who acted in a boldly unconventional manner, contrary to the socially acceptable standard of behavior, particularly having bobbed (short) haircuts, wearing short skirts, and dancing in what could be regarded as an improper manner
hag = an old and ugly woman, an old evil-looking woman; a malicious or unpleasant woman; a witch, enchantress, sorceress; a female demon, a female evil spirit
half-pi = imperfect, mediocre, not well-made; half-baked, poorly planned (also spelt “half-pie”)
Holy Joe = a sanctimonious, self-righteous person, or very pious person; a clergyman, a minister of religion, chaplain, parson, or priest
indolence = habitual reluctance to exert one’s self, make an effort, or to work; idleness, indolence, laziness, slackness, sloth
intol’rant = (vernacular) intolerant
killjoy = someone who deliberately seeks to ruin, spoil, or lessen the enjoyment or pleasure of others (especially used regarding religious people motivated by religious reasons to stop enjoyable activities or pastimes, or regarding officials motivated by legal, petty, or rule-enforcing reasons)
livery = lily-livered, cowardly; of, or regarding, liver; resembling liver (can also refer to: a distinctive or identifying badge, colours, or design (such as on a uniform, vehicle, or equipment) that indicates ownership; a distinctive or identifying uniform or badge worn by employees, officials, retainers, or servants, especially those employed by a member of the nobility)
shot = drunk; a degree of drunkenness
sot = an habitual drunkard
whene’er = (vernacular) a contraction of “whenever”
who’re = a contraction of “who are”
wowser = someone who is puritanical, bigoted, censorious, or overly moralistic, particularly those who aim to force their morals upon others (in the past, the word was especially applied to temperance campaigners)
Yank = someone from America (the United States of America), i.e. an American, or something from America; in the context of the American Civil War (the War Between the States), or in the context of the US North-South divide, it refers to someone, or something, from the northern states of the USA (also rendered as “Yankee”)
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