Swag

Swag

In Australian historical terms, a swag is a portable shelter that is rolled (usually with belongings inside) and carried on a person's back.

Historical Use

Before motor transport was common, foot travel over long distances was essential to workers who were travelling in the Australian bush and who could not afford a horse. Itinerant workers who travelled from farm to farm shearing sheep in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were called "swagmen" because they carried all their possessions in a swag. This image was immortalised in Australian culture by the song "Waltzing Matilda".

Modern Use

In Australia and New Zealand, the term "swag" is still widely used to refer to a tent or other portable shelter used for camping or outdoor sleeping.

A modern swag is a waterproof canvas sleeping compartment that is sometimes bug-proof. All swags come with a foam mattress, and can comfortably be slept in with the addition of a pillow and sleeping bag. When rolled up the swag is lightweight and very compact, making it ideal for storage and transport. It is typically easy to erect and roll up can be done quickly.

There is also a Norwegian chain of stores named [http://www.swag.no Swag] , that focuses on extreme sport themed clothing.

ee also

* Bindle

External links

* [http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/L/LawsonHenry/prose/romanceofswag/romanceswag.html The romance of the swag] by Henry Lawson (full text).


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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • swag — swag·er; swag·ger·er; swag·gie; swag·man; swag; swag·ger; horn·swag·gle; horn·swag·gled; swag·ger·ing·ly; …   English syllables

  • Swag — Swag, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Swagged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swagging}.] [Cf. Icel. sveggja, sveigja to bend, to sway, Norw. svaga to sway. See {Sway}.] 1. To hang or move, as something loose and heavy; to sway; to swing. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • swag — [swag] vi. swagged, swagging [< or akin to Norw svagga, to sway (in walking), SWAGGER] 1. to sway or lurch 2. to hang down; sag vt. 1. to decorate with swags 2. to hang in a swag n …   English World dictionary

  • Swag — Swag, n. 1. A swaying, irregular motion. [1913 Webster] 2. A burglar s or thief s booty; boodle. [Cant or Slang] Charles Reade. [1913 Webster] 3. [Australia] (a) A tramping bushman s luggage, rolled up either in canvas or in a blanket so as to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • swag — (v.) to move heavily or unsteadily, 1520s, probably from O.N. sveggja to swing, sway, cognate with O.E. swingan to swing (see SWING (Cf. swing)). The noun sense of ornamental festoon is first found 1794. Colloquial sense of promotional material… …   Etymology dictionary

  • swag — [swæg] n [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: swag to sway, hang down (16 19 centuries), probably from a Scandinavian language] 1.) [U] old fashioned informal goods that someone has stolen = ↑loot 2.) a) a large piece of material that is hung above a window …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • swag — index contraband, spoils Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • swag — [ swæg ] noun 1. ) uncount INFORMAL OLD FASHIONED stolen goods 2. ) count AUSTRALIAN a bag or a roll of cloth containing a traveler s personal possessions …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • swag — n *spoil, plunder, loot, booty, prize …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • swag — ► NOUN 1) an ornamental festoon of flowers, fruit, and greenery. 2) a curtain or drape fastened to hang in a drooping curve. 3) informal money or goods taken by a thief or burglar. 4) Austral./NZ a traveller s or miner s bundle of personal… …   English terms dictionary

  • swag — In British thieves slang swag was a thief s plunder or booty; a quantity of goods unlawfully acquired . The term appears in Grose s 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, where one of the definitions is any quantity of goods . James Hardy Vaux,… …   Australian idioms

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