Dictionary

mulga wire

Noun

mulga wire

(Australia) The gossip network in the outback.
- 1990, Lennie Wallace, Bow Waves in the Bull Dust, 2012, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=LpdxAu_KlxYC&pg=PA139&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22mulga%20wire%22|%22mulga%20wires%22%20-intitle%3A%22%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false page 139],
  In the meantime, I had been receiving worrying reports about Nancy by mulga wire but could not find out for sure what was wrong.
- 1998, Brian Ernest Matthews, Louisa, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=xm_jAAAAMAAJ&q=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y page 72],
  That night, diggers from all over the field, having learnt by ‘mulga wire’ that one of their number had married Harry Albury′s girl, gathered round the hut making cacophonous celebration […] .
- 2006, Kerry McGinnis, The Waddi Tree, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ifa25p0CWS4C&pg=PT172&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22mulga%20wire%22|%22mulga%20wires%22%20-intitle%3A%22%22%20-inauthor%3A%22%22&f=false unnumbered page],
  ‘The mulga-wire′s not working too good,’ he said by way of greeting. ‘I had no idea. When did you get back?’
(Australia) A story thus received; a component in the network (either a person or an imagined wire), and so in plural the network itself.
- 1900, The Outlook: A Weekly Review of Politics, Art, Literature and Finance, Volume 4, [page 724],
  There is a really good sketch of Micky, the lonely boundary rider, whose wonderful stock of news comes by “the mulga wires,” who is full of scandal about the squatter′s rams […] .
- ante 1922 Henry Lawson, 1984, Leonard Cronin (editor), A Fantasy of Man: Henry Lawson Complete Works, 1901-1922, Volume 1984, Part 2, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=yHDPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y page 312],
  Tom had been been out early, or had got what we call a bush telegraphy or mulga wire, for when they reached the Four Lanes he said — […] .
- 1937, Ion Idriess, The Cattle King: The Story of Sir Sidney Kidman, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=7Q21AAAAIAAJ&q=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y page 82],
  “ […] Lumps of silver as big as you′re head they′re picking up. So the mulga wires say.”
(Australia, perhaps only Upfield) Telepathy; a telepathic message.
- 1938, Arthur Upfield, The Bone is Pointed, 1976, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=WBMhAQAAIAAJ&q=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y page 40],
  “How did he receive word about the sick lubra?”
  “I don′t know. Mulga wire, I suppose.”
- 1986, Bill Pronzini, Marcia Muller, 1001 Midnights: The Aficionado's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=aZZZAAAAMAAJ&q=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&dq=%22mulga+wire%22|%22mulga+wires%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jWK2T8ueFsKeiQfFxbDoCA&redir_esc=y page 800],
  In this book Upfield utilizes the full panoply of aboriginal lore — myths, beliefs, superstitions of the blacks; their communication by “mulga wire” (telepathy); walkabouts, medicine men, invisible shadowing; and all the other elements of the “Book of the Bush.”

Synonyms

(gossip network) bush telegraph, grapevine

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