Macquarie Dictionary

or

Australian Word Map

Back to regionalism list

There are 1 results of your search for alleys.

alleys


Name for the game of 'marbles' and for each marble: Want to play alleys? I have a cats eye alley.

Contributor's comments: Adelaide suburbs in 1950s, but perhaps in wider use - not sure.

Contributor's comments: Alley, a marble. We used this word where I grew up in Mirboo North, South Gippsland, Vic.

Contributor's comments: Invariable name for the game and the marble in Melb in 1940's. The alley in the middle was the tor or taw.

Contributor's comments: "Alleys" for marbles was in widespread use in Perth in the fities and sixties. I don't know if it is currently used.

Contributor's comments: We played 'alleys' at primary school in Melbourne in the 60s. The prized alleys were called blood suckers.

Contributor's comments: Was used commonly in S.W. Queensland in the Fifties.

Contributor's comments: A name for a marble (as in the children's game of marbles). Term used in 50's and 60's. Special types of marbles (alleys) were called: Tom Bowlers, cat's eyes, blood suckers: "Let's have a game of alleys!"

Contributor's comments: West Coast of Tasmania marbles were called alleys in late 1940's.

Contributor's comments: Used in Melbourne in 40's.

Contributor's comments: Alleys was the game in Orbost.

Contributor's comments: The term alleys for marbles originates from Sussex dialect and was in use when I was at school in Eastbourne in the 1940s

Contributor's comments: 'Alleys' was common usage for marbles in inner Melbourne suburbs in 1930s and according to my father, a generation earlier.

Contributor's comments: As a young English kids in the 50's we played marbles but were aware that alleys was an old word for them. We also valued Ballbies (steel ball bearings)

Contributor's comments: Alleys was the marble game played by us in the Bendigo region in the 50's & 60's. The tombowler was the most effective weapon.

Contributor's comments: We used to play alleys in the outer Northern suburbs of Melbourne in the the 1960's. Typically they were the clear ones, while the opaque ones were 'aggies' or 'agates', and the big ones were 'tombolas' (that's a guess at the spelling)


Contributor's comments: My parents and I used the term 'alleys' for marbles in N. England 60+ years ago which may have some bearing on the distribution in Australia.

Contributor's comments: In the 1950s, used in the Riverland for marbles.

Contributor's comments: My parents and I used the term 'alleys' for marbles in N. England 60+ years ago which may have some bearing on the distribution in Australia.