Lidia Thorpe’s gammin was Charles Dickens’ gammon. Really, no porkies
Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Lidia Thorpe is a senator not given to hiding her thoughts, but when she wore a T-shirt into the Senate emblazoned with the word “gammin”, some might have been puzzled at what she was getting at.
Charles Dickens would have known.
Senator Lidia Thorpe wore a “Gammin” T-shirt in the Senate on Monday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Gammin, otherwise spelled as gammon, is a word widely used these days within Indigenous communities to suggest something or somebody is lacking authenticity, or simply fake.
Thorpe wanted us all to know she thought the Indigenous Voice to parliament was pure gammin.
“Gammin, as we know, is fake, pretend, a joke,” said Thorpe after she was told by the acting president of the senate to cover her T-shirt because slogans were not allowed in the Senate.
It is not an Aboriginal word, however.
It can be traced back to cockney English, and further to 17th century English literature, and was popularised by numerous writers during the period Australia was being colonised in the early 19th century, including Charles Dickens.
Dickens used the term, spelling it “gammon”, to describe the attitude of a fictitious English MP who was massively self-satisfied and imbued by a fake patriotism.
Dickens’s MP, a Mr Gregsbury, can be found in Nicholas Nickleby, first published in 1838.
Dickens describes Gregsbury as “a tough, burly, thick-headed gentleman, with a loud voice, a pompous manner, a tolerable command of sentences with no meaning in them, and, in short, every requisite for a very good member indeed”.
When this Gregsbury is confronted by constituents outraged by his behaviour and calling for his resignation, he resorts to the first defence of the scoundrel: a long and florid exposition of his patriotism.
It impresses no one in the angry crowd.
“The general impression seemed to be, that as an explanation of Mr Gregsbury’s political conduct, it did not enter quite enough into detail; and one gentleman in the rear did not scruple to remark aloud, that, for his purpose, it savoured rather too much of a ‘gammon’ tendency,” wrote Dickens.
Gammon, of course, refers to ham, or pork.
A “gammon tendency”, the vulgar might – and did – say, was to equate with a pig’s arse.
Thorpe left no one in doubt she meant almost precisely this when declaring the Voice was “gammin”.
“And that’s what I think. A powerless voice. We have fought over 200 years against colonisation. The Constitution is an illegal document. It’s illegal.
“The occupation in this country is illegal. You’re following the King.
“And now, poor little black fellas are begging for a seat at the table and all we get is to become advisers with no power.
“Well, I’m ashamed. I’m ashamed. That we’re not standing here for a treaty or for some truth to happen in this country.
“You’re not genuine. ”
Even after covering up her slogan, as required by Senate rules, “gammin” could still be seen on Thorpe’s T-shirt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Even after covering up, the word gammin could be seen on Thorpe’s T-shirt as she fulminated.
Most of those voting on the legislation enabling a referendum on the Voice, however, were not sufficiently daunted at Thorpe’s accusation of gammin.
The legislation sailed through the Senate, 52 votes to 19.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.
Most Viewed in Politics
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article