chiack

English

Alternative forms

• chyack

Etymology

From chi-ike.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃaijæk/, /t͡ʃaijæk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Verb

chiack (third-person singular simple present chiacks, present participle chiacking, simple past and past participle chiacked)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, British, transitive) To taunt or tease.
   • 1912 March 1, Edward S. Sorenson, “The Biography of a Kookaburra”, in The Lone Hand, volume 10, page 366:

     Jack soon learnt that it was not politic to attack big snakes, which included the adult black, brown, and the death-ader, though he might "chiack" them to his heart's content.

   • 1987, Sheila Anderson, “End of the Season”, in Anna Gibbs, Alison Tilson, editors, Frictions, An Anthology of Fiction by Women, page 45:

     They were cheerful enough, liked a bit of chiacking, and the women enjoyed the bawdy undertones of their jokes.

   • 1991, Tim Winton, 'Cloudstreet' , Picador UK Paperback edition 1992 (Chapter 1, at page 1: the book's opening lines):

     Will you look at us by the river! The whole restless mob of us on spread blankets in the dreamy briny sunshine skylarking and chiacking about for one day, one clear, clean, sweet day in a good world in the midst of our living.

   • 2008, Helen Garner, “The Art of the Dumb Question”, in True Stories: Selected Non-Fiction, page 13:

     Most poignantly of all, though, when I get fed up with working alone, I remember Victorian high school staffrooms of the sixties and seventies: the rigid hierarchy with its irritations, but also the chiacking, the squabbles, the timely advice from some old stager with a fag drooping off his lip.

   • 2008, Graeme Blundell, The Naked Truth: A Life in Parts, published 2011, unnumbered page:

     We believed Melbourne′s two most extraordinary institutions were those of chiacking – taking the piss – and larrikinism. Although the latter would develop derogatory connotations, and chiacking was already beginning to die a slow death, sometimes perceived as offensive in its more alcoholic forms, especially by the women in our group.

Synonyms

• hound
• taunt
• jeer

Noun

chiack (uncountable)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, British) Taunting or teasing.
   • 1900 May, E. W. Hornung, “The Jackeroo on G-Block”, in The Strand Magazine, volume 19, number 113, page 368:

     Indeed, the man was less brute than boor; he also spoke the truth. He had not seriously exceeded the limits of legitimate “chiack.”

   • 1915, C.J. Dennis, The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, page 16:

     I felt as if I couldn't go that fur, An' start to sling off chiack like I used...

   • 1999, Thea Astley, Drylands:

     It was, Janet thought, a symbol of male religion: there they all were, yappings stilled as they attended League mass, quaffing their communion Tooheys, joining in the votive prayers of groan, chiack, cheer.

   • 2004, Eugene Benson, L.W. Conolly, Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English:

     Dennis captured the speech rhythms and humour of ordinary Australians, their gift of 'chiack', and their deflection of adversity with a ready joke.

   • 2007, Les A. Murray, Fredy Neptune, page 76:

     I took some chiack from the drivers: Was that the schottische you was dancing on them logs?