Hop in. This week we are chucking a lap down the main street of Macquarie Town. To chuck a lap is to drive around the block as a form of entertainment. The hoons spent Saturday night chucking laps. Since this is nearly always done off the main street it is also called chucking a mainy. In Whyalla, a hoon around the beach is chucking a beachie. On the way, they might even incorporate a doughnut.
Australians like to chuck things. A hoon that gets pulled over by the cops while chucking a lap might chuck a micky. That is, throw a tantrum. There is a veritable plethora of putdowns on this same theme meant to belittle the person who has lost their temper. These include: chuck a mental, chuck a nana, chuck a wobbly and many more.
Perhaps the most famous instance of all in Australian English is chuck a U-ey. While everyone says it, no-one is really sure how to spell this great Aussie word. Other efforts have been u-ie, uee, and even youee. Whatever way you spell it, just be sure to follow the road rules.
Each week, we have a look at a slang word from Australian English. You can see other Aussie Word of the Week posts from the Macquarie Dictionary here.
