McGrath, I'd be interested to know your source of info on ocker=knocker because I have never heard it explained that way. Also, although ockers are the equivalent (I think) of "rednecks" and therefore they do tend to "knock" or excessively criticise things, people, the government, etc I am not sure that there is a really strong connection between the two concepts.

Ockers, in my experience, tend to be working class, the "unreconstructed man" whose prime motivations in life are his car, his booze, his mates, and as much sex as he can manage to score, bearing in mind that his ockerness could be a disadvantage at times in that area. Although for ockerinas it is probably seen as an advantage. :-)

A couple of decades or more ago I saw an interview on tv of an Oz bikie, and when he was asked what were the most important things in his life he replied, in a "rough as guts" voice: "Me bike, me booze, an' me bird....in that order!" That about sums up ockerdom, if you replace the word "bike" with the word "car".

And I'm sure that we had a thread a couple of years ago on the word "hoon". "Hooning around" is driving around in a swaggering way, showing off your car, and having races on the street or at the traffic lights. It's a testosterone thing. Like the peacock's feathers and the noisy, flashy show he puts on for the ladies.

Helen