Word: queensland
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...intimate acquaintance of several English tongues, Partridge was born into the proper English of New Zealand and was introduced to Australian slang as a student at the University of Queensland. He later served with the Australian army in World War I-thereby learning the military idiom-before ending his linguistic tour in the rarefied dialect of Oxford. To fill in the gaps, he relies on an extended network of correspondents. They also keep him abreast of changes that "on balance, I should say are to the good." He particularly likes "wonderful American expressions such as skyscraper" but dislikes the "pitiable...
Four years ago, geologists for Queensland Mines Ltd. came across a tiny plot of ground in Australia's remote northern Nabarlek region that turned out to be the richest uranium deposit in the world. Assuming that mining rights could easily be obtained from the aboriginal owners, the Australian company quickly signed contracts to sell $60 million worth of ore to Japanese firms. What the mining executives failed to take into account was the aborigines' reluctance to disturb the green ants who live near the site...
Remaining Poor. Queensland Mines officials have been trying to overcome the aborigines' fear of the ants' anger by offering them higher and higher sums for mining rights. The bids started with a "good-will" tender of $7,425 in 1971; they have since grown to a package including $891,000 in cash plus a 3.75% royalty, totaling $13,619,000. The company is willing to invest so much because the uranium deposit is conservatively valued at $300 million. In a plot only 755 ft. by 33 ft., there are more than 443,000 tons of uranium ore -roughly...
...fearing that the toads would eat the dung beetles that eat disease-spreading flies, demanded that the education department pay a $1,500 reward for each toad, the federal government in Canberra countered that such an absurdly high bounty might lead to the clandestine import of more toads from Queensland. Anticipating that, the Northern Territory promised to fine all Bufo bootleggers...
Meanwhile, across the continent in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, buzzes of anguish rose from local apiarists (Bufo marinus, of course, also relishes bees), when several specimens got away from another consignment from Queensland. These Bufos, however, were quickly isolated near Perth Airport, and it remains only for authorities to check adjacent drainage every two days for the next three years to make sure that the toads or their progeny get no further...