hmmmm... now here's another one... but this time it's indigenous to this area...
gidday!
Actually, it's rarely ever just "gidday!"... it's usually
"gidday, gidday!"
Don't really know why the second "gidday" has to be said, but it does...often said while you're doing this sort of toe-dragging saunter towards someone and reaching out to shake his hand when you run into him at a local fair, the livestock salebarn, or an auction.... Supposed to be said with just the right little smile and slight "surprise" at having met someone....when it really isn't much of a surprise at all... Oh... and when you shake hands, you should take an extra little step closer and give the person a squeeze on their right arm just above the elbow with your left hand while continuing to give a good firm gripping handshake with your right. And if you happen to be carrying a livestock cane, you should have already looped the crook of it over your right forearm up near the elbow as soon as you spotted the person that you said "gidday, gidday" to... this being proper etiquette in these here parts...
As a matter of interest (probably to nobody, but I'll mention it anyways) a few years ago, a couple of "Valley boys" from this area (Delmer & Cecil) made the saying... "Gidday, I'm from the Valley" pretty popular around these parts after they recorded a song about being "Valley Lads"... kind of in answer to the whole "Valley Girl" phenomenon.
BTW, you also hear mention of people or places being "up the line" (that would be "as you go up the Ottawa Valley" to the uninitiated)... Delmer and Cecil also recorded a song called "Up the Line" which probably hit the top 40 on all of the Ottawa stations a few years ago too..
Bet your Mom would just love it being "up the line"... (-: |
