Yabby
An Australian freshwater crayfish that is quite a tasty little critter.
Yabby Pump
I'm not sure what these do but, having seen what a bike pump can do to a bike tyre, I have accordingly been in contact with the RSPCA.
Yacht Race
Australia's most famous yacht race is the Sydney to Hobart race that starts on Boxing Day. These magnificent large yachts are the domain of wealthy businessmen and, due to the current Global Financial Crisis, the 2009/2010 events may be cancelled.
Yahoo
This is a term for a rough and uncouth person and the name comes from the 'Yahoo' race of brutes in the satirical work, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1667-1745). Yahoo is also the name of an Internet Search Engine that could be called Gullible's Travels. (Now there's a bit of satire for you!!)
Yackety-yak
This is an Aussie term meaning to talk or chatter pointlessly and continuously, raving on and on and on and on. And on. Continuously. It is also the name of my favourite group of Queensland entertainers. Certainly the best production seen at the Nambour RSL in the 1980s!
Yakka
This is an Australian term for 'work' and it is one of those words I adopt and employ when wanting to appear like 'one of the people' and appeal to working families - e.g., "There's nothing wrong with a bit of hard yakka and together we have to pull up our strides and put our shoulders to the grindstone and our noses to the wheel." 'Yakka' is also a brand of overalls and, if I were a handyman, it would be my preferred brand. Nothing's tougher and true-blue Aussies wouldn't be seen in anything else than Hard Yakka! (Enquiries regarding personal product endorsement here - Kevin@MrRudd.com.au)
Yellow Monday
This is a large cicada that has a yellow hue (as opposed to the 'Green Grocer', which has a more greenish hue and the Black Prince, which has a similar hue to an Afro-American). Apparently cicadas live underground in a cocoon state for several months (and sometimes up to 17 years!) but only live for a couple of weeks when they emerge from their little safe, dark hole so they have to get cracking and mate to start the process all over again. And it does illustrate that daylight is not necessarily good for you.
Yellow Peril
This was an old-fashioned term alleging that there was a danger of the 'yellow' race (i.e. China) gaining predominance over the 'white' race (i.e. us) due to its enormous population and increasingly advancing economic power. Isn't it a good thing that we have grown up! I can speak fluent Mandarin by the way, so no worries about anyone getting the upper hand there!!
Y-Fronts
If I could legislate on underwear, I would make them mandatory. Y-fronts are an item of clothing close to my heart (not that I actually wear them quite that high!!). To put it bluntly, they are both comfortable and practical as proposed to boxer shorts which allow for a tad too much 'free-fall' or the jockette/brief that allows no 'free fall' at all and could possibly result in sterility. The Y-front, with its clever design of overlapping panels combines modesty and expediency, particularly at urinals and if there are any specific companies out there looking for Prime Ministerial endorsement, let me know!!
Y-Gen
'Generation Y' refers to people born in the 1980s and 1990s, the successors to 'Generation X'. Logic would therefore dictate that 'Generation Z' is being born now, which also logically means, in alphabetical terms, that by 2020 Australian youth will have nowhere to go.
YMCA
This was a smash hit for the pop group The Village People and it also started a dance fad where people would try to form shapes of the various letters with their arms. That dance, along with the Macarena and a game of Twister, always ensure a New Years Party has a chance of lasting till midnight in our house! Apparently The Village People were gay but you don't have to be gay to stay at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) but it is not necessarily a hindrance either.
Yowie
This is an ape-like man, about two-and-a-half metres tall, believed to roam in the southern parts of New South Wales. If anyone does spot 'Yowie', please call the Australian Institute of Sport because our men's basketball team could only manage a quarterfinal at the Beijing Olympics where they went down 116 - 85 at the hands of the Americans. I found this a personal embarrassment as I was in the stands at the time, as was US President George W Bush. It was some consolation knowing that I can speak fluent Mandarin and he has difficulty with fluent English.
Yo-Yo
This is a wonderful, amusing and challenging toy. It consists of two round pieces of wood or plastic joined by a shaft. String is wound around the shaft and one end looped around the user's finger. The yo-yo is then spun out and can perform 'tricks' like 'around the world', 'walk the dog, 'rock the cradle' and the 'kangaroo bite'. Unfortunately I only ever got mine to 'yo'. That may have been because mine was a Fanta yo-yo and the Coca-Cola ones did seem to have more precision.
You know something?
You know something? This is the best sentence I own. It gives me time to think before answering tricky questions asked by journalists. And you know something else? It can quickly change the topic without anyone noticing because, you know something, you only get a maximum of four minutes on the 7:30 Report, so you might as well say what you want to say and pretty much ignore whatever Kerry has on his agenda. And you know something, every past Prime Minister has had a similar tactic. For example:
Gough: "Well Comrades, in answer to your question...”
Mal: "Well, you know, having said that, let me say this..."
Bob: "Arrrrrrr... arrrrr... arrrrrr..."
Paul: "Oh for God's sake, listen up scumbags..."
John: "Ohh now, er look, er, what I meant to say was..."
Me: "You know something, I reckon I've got the best one and it certainly has put my own stamp on the job."
YWCA
Inexpensive accommodation for ladies can be found at the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association). You don't have to be gay to stay, but it is not necessarily a hindrance either. Neither the YMCA nor the YWCA has an association with the RSPCA, unless of course an unnatural act with a small animal is discovered.
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Y
Yabby
Yabby Pump
Yacht Race
Yackety-yak
Yahoo
Yakka
Yellow Monday
Yellow Peril
Y-Fronts
Y-Gen
YMCA
Yowie
Yo-Yo
You Know Something?
YWCA
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