dinkum

== English == === Etymology === Unknown. Earliest recorded use in the phrase fair dinkum in 1879, from Australia. Also recorded (slightly later) from Derbyshire and Lincolnshire dialect. Perhaps related to Gloucestershire dialect ding (“to work hard”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈdɪŋkəm/ === Adjective === dinkum (comparative more dinkum, superlative most dinkum) (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Genuine, true, honest, on the level. [From 1894] ==== Synonyms ==== dinky-die ==== Derived terms ==== dinkum oil fair dinkum straight dinkum === Noun === dinkum (uncountable) (Australia, New Zealand, slang, rare, obsolete) Hard work. [From 1882] (Australia, New Zealand, slang, dated) Truth. === References === Michael Quinion (2004), “Dinkum”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.