G'day Rumncoke,

It would be no surprise to find that any Australianism derived from an old ( ... dialect ... local ...) expression in some part of Britain. All ex-colonial societies hang onto some expressions and words that have long ago died out - back at "home".

(However, I suspect we did a good trade in our local expressions while putting in a bit of military service in an around your part of the world ... back in the First and Second Great Stoushes!)

Regards,

Bob