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toodle-em-buck
noun (formerly) a game-of-chance device consisting of a wooden skewer, a cotton reel, and a cardboard disc marked in sectors, each bearing a horse's name and betting odds proportional to sector size; a pointer showed the winner when the disc stopped spinning. Also, toodlembuc.
Contributor's comments: Very old. My father used this in the 1914 to 1920's era.
Contributor's comments: toodlumbuck: In the depression of the 30s in Victoria, boys played games with home-made materials. One such game was called "tip-cat", somewhat similar to baseball in layout. The "cat", or "toodlumbuck" was shaped from a 3-4 inch section of 1-1.5 inch diameter dowel, with both ends tapered to a point. In playing the toodlumbuck the player hit the pointed end, causing the tood. to rise into the air, whereupon the player then belted it with the bat as hard as he could and ran for first base. Can provide more descrip. if needed. Spelling here is phonetic for I have never seen the word in print: "We need a new toodlumbuck for next week's big game."
Contributor's comments: This expression is in no measure indigenous to Australia, although it may have known some regionalism of use. It's of American origin, dating to Negro use in the last decade of the 19th century to do with illegal racetrack betting.