blockie1
a horticulturist. Specifically someone who owns a 'fruit block' which is a small acreage within the irragation district around the Murray at Mildura: Those blockies from Coomealla have always had it easy; their blocks are on that good red soil. Also, blocky, blocker.
Contributor's comments: Person who owns or manages a citrus and/or vineyard in the Sunraysia region of north west Victoria and south west New South Wales. A Block refers to the allocation of land that was awarded to ex-service personnel after the second world war: "He is a Blocky's kid and lives out Tretham Cliffs way, on the banks of the Murray River."
Contributor's comments: [Adelaide informant] Blocker sounds unfamiliar. To me it's always been blockie.
blockie2
to drive around a block doing only left hand turns: Let's do a blockie to get that parking space. Also, blocky.
Contributor's comments: [Tasmanian informant] to go round the block very fast in a usually noisy car, often done by young men on a Saturday night: "There's someone on the street doing blockies again. I'd better call the cops."
blockie3
person who buys a (usually unviable) block of land from a developer, moving from city to country: blocky expected to have a council garbage collection service even though his block was 20 kilometres out of town. Also, blocky.
blackie
Large yabbies, that are black in colour. Yabbies change colour as they grow in size and age. The smallest are the greenies, then blueies(if I remember correctly), then blackies. When bands of kids used to go yabbying in the 50s and 60s, we would distinguish them by size and colour. The small greenies were most common. But everybody wanted to catch a big blackie. Blackies where the biggest and hardest to catch. They were a bit cheeky and could give a kid a nasty nip. The technique was to tie a bit of mincemeat to a piece of string and toss it into the yabby dam, then gradually start pulling it back as you felt the nibble. You had to pull it slow enough that the yabbie followed, but fast enough that there was still some meat left by the time you got it back to the dam edge. When you saw the bubbles, you had to scoop really quickly with Mum's sifter to catch the yabbie. Some of the blackies were so big they wouldn't fit in the sifter: We went yabbying this arvo. I got ten greenies and a real big blackie.
blocker
noun 1. the occupier of a small block of rural land.
2. one who owns a fruit block. Also, blockie.
Contributor's comments: A blocker is termed a blocky in Peak Hill [NSW].
Contributor's comments: Growing up in Mildura, Victoria, we referred to 'blockies' not 'blockers'.
Contributor's comments: I think this expression goes back to the soldier settlement days, post WWII.
Contributor's comments: [Adelaide informant] Blocker sounds unfamiliar. To me it's always been blockie.
Contributor's comments: Always 'blockie' when growing up in Sunraysia (80's & 90's).
