Australia's Funniest Yarns: Traditional humour from the bush and the outback

(Paperback)

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'Graham Seal writes ripper, fair dinkum, true-blue Aussie yarns.' - The Weekly Times

Australians traditionally like their humour irreverent, crude and with very sharp teeth.

Perhaps you've heard of the vicious drop bears that fall on unsuspecting tourists as they walk through the bush Or the hoop snakes that put their tails in their mouths as they roll down the hill towards you Or how about the Citizenship Test for Aspiring Australians which begins with this question about an essential life skill: 'How many slabs can you fit in the back of a Falcon ute while also allowing room for your cattle dog'

The bush is the source of traditional Aussie humour. Pioneering, settlement and battling fire, flood and drought have produced yarns of tough cocky farmers, shearers, bush workers, swaggies and dreadful cooks. Much of this humour relates to the resilience and fortitude necessary to endure the realities of rural life. Australians took this sensibility with them to war and to work in the cities, and the tradition continues today.

Whatever the circumstances, Australians have always found something to laugh about, laugh at or laugh off.

'Graham Seal has the knack of the storyteller.' - Warren Fahey AM

Reviews

'Australia's Funniest Yarns is full of songs, stories, poems, rules and quizzes. It is a lovely book for those who want to catch a glimpse of the old characters who used their stories and language to make the Australia of the past much more colourful than it is today.' - Glam Adelaide

Author Bio

Graham Seal is a former Professor of Folklore at Curtin University. He is a leading expert on Australian cultural history and an award-winning songwriter. He is the bestselling author of Great Australian Stories, Larrikins, Bush Tales and Other Great Australian Stories, Great Australian Journeys, Great Bush Stories and Great Convict Stories.