dinkum
Americanadjective
adjective
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genuine or right
a dinkum bloke
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genuine or true: used to emphasize the truth of something or in asking for the truth of something to be confirmed
Back to the states? Fair dinkum?
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archaic the truth
Etymology
Origin of dinkum
First recorded in 1890–95; origin uncertain, possibly from Lincolnshire dialect dincum, dinkum “work, hard work,” extended to mean “doing one's fair share of work”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Stephen Roche, who filmed the video, described the incident as a "fair dinkum stampede" and can be heard warning the animals to "not stand on my golf ball".
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024
"I think that is very wrong and unfair and really sad. We're not racist people here, we're fair dinkum Australians. Everyone is equal."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2023
“Scare dinkum – Aussies caught by the ghoulies at ‘haunted’ hotel,” squealed a predictably-restrained back-page headline in the Sun after the 2005 incident.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 21, 2014
Fair dinkum to you chaps, it's the only chance you've had to use that combination of words all winter.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 9, 2011
Now, dinkum, talkin' square, When you git gazin' over there Don't you 'arf want to cry?
From Digger Smith by Hal Gye
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
