First off, thank you for the answer … ‘filicide’. That,s given me another 20 -30 words for my book… only another 15000 to go.
Unrelated to the book, but related to my pointless curiosity, is my quest to find the origin/derivation of these words. I’m not sure whether they are particularly Australian culture bound however…
‘DUFF’ as in ‘up the duff’ meaning pregnant.
‘DOOVER’ (sp?) probably a diminutive of ‘dooverlacky’ which is a word in the realm of ‘whatchamacallit’ and ‘thingamajig’
‘A MONTY’ a term in horse racing/gambling meaning a certainty to win.
I’ve never heard those words used with those meanings in the US. So I can’t help with the origins but I can give you some American equivalents.
I’d say the American slang for being pregnant that comes closest to your term is “knocked up”. “Doover” is not used in the US but “whatchamacallit” and “thingamajig” both are. A gambling bet that is certain to win is called a “lock”.
“Duff” I would think would be 100% Australian, a one syllable derivative of the English “dustbin”. From “dustbin” to trash-human waste-anatomical waste system-ass-“up the duff”. Quite vulgar.
“Doover” in the realm of the interogative “whatchamacallit” or “thingamajig”, derived from “dooverlacky” (lackey being an archaic term for a flunky or low level person under your command), would suggest a term for an unknown person, like “whodeyemacallit”. Of the three words this one is my most WAG, but from your clues I think it means “unknown flunky”. It does have a Cockney rhyming slang with “who’s there”. It could be related to the North American “dufus” meaning fumbler or putz.
“Monty”. There is only one Monty - Field Marshall Bernard. He de man. Nobody kicked Nazi ass like Monty. A great British war hero respected by the men. If my memory serves me right, Monty liked a sure thing and didn’t like to rush in to battle until he could predict the outcome. I can’t think of anything better in a horse race than a sure thing.
“and dats what I tink” - Andrew Dice Clay
I have heard the word “duff” used although it’s uncommon. It’s a slang for ass with the implication of laziness. It would be used as “he sits around on his duff all day” or “if she wants a job she’s going to have to get off her duff.” It’s probably this sense of the word that led to it’s being used in the series The Simpsons as Homer’s favorite brand of beer.
Al Zheimers’s derivation of “Monty” sounds likely. Field Marshal Montgomery was notorious for avoiding battle until he had an overwhelming advantage and victory was certain.
In American slang, the human equivalent of a “whatchamacallit” is a “whatshisface”.
From what I know the phrase ‘up the duff’ comes from the English use of ‘Plum Duff’ - refering to a ‘plum pudding’. Traditional christmas fare and nice and round - so someone who is pregnant would look like they had a plum pudding inside their clothes.
That seems to be in the ball park… given another term for pregnancy is “to be in the pudding club”