The Meaning of Headlines: ‘muck around’

The Mirror published an article on 10 July 2017 with the headline: ‘We don’t muck around!’ Australian Prime Minister throws Brexit lifeline to Theresa May by promising a swift trade deal. What does ‘muck around’ mean? And why would it be a Brexit lifeline for the United Kingdom?

‘To muck around’ in Australian slang means ‘to waste time instead of doing something useful or important.’ This means that the Australian Prime Minster, Malcom Turnbull, told British Prime Minister, Theresa May, that Australians will do something ‘useful or important.’

Muck around originated from the word, muck, which means manure or rubbish. The be in muck is to be in manure, probably deep manure. So Australians are not wallowing around in muck – they don’t muck around!

The first sentences of the article are: ‘Australia's Prime Minister has thrown a Brexit lifeline to Theresa May by promising a swift trade deal with the UK. Malcolm Turnbull said he wanted an agreement between the two countries as soon as possible and declared: "We don't muck around!"’

Turnbull was asked how quickly a trade deal with Britain could be done, and he responded: "As soon as possible. We move quickly. Australians are fleet of foot. We don’t muck around. We're very simple.’’

The article continued to explain that the lifeline would assist United Kingdom to achieve a swift trade deal after it ‘exits’ the trade deals with the European Union.

Scorecard for The Mirror headline is 100%. The article shows the common understanding (in trade and language) between the Australian and the British Prime Ministers. The article emphasises the potential swift deal, soon after Brexit is finalized, and the ‘simple’ (i.e. uncomplicated) nature of Australians to complete the deal.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/malcolm-turnbull-trade-deal-brexit-10768832

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog