Almost as large is the small-flowered fishhook cactus (S. parviflorus) native to the Colorado Plateau. Cacti are native to arid regions of the New World and are cultivated elsewhere, especially as pot plants. It became a pest, quickly overrunning many thousand acres of farmland. It can refer to all kinds of things. Cactus plural: Cacti is a noun. A Cactus is just an office plant but deadlier. It was so well known he feels the expression Cactus definition is - any of a family (Cactaceae, the cactus family) of plants that have succulent stems and branches with scales or spines instead of leaves and … Examples. The color of cactus flowers depends on the species of the cactus. Cartier cactus bracelet. Lust and sexual attraction between two people; The power and loneliness of the desert; Enduring all things, no matter how painful or difficult; Protection from danger and threats; Warmth and care, especially from a mother to a child; Chastity and abstinence from physical contact Are there any stars that orbit perpendicular to the Milky Way's galactic plane? Can anyone authenticate the claim that “grungy” was used to mean “envious or jealous” in 1920s slang? Is my back-of-the-envelope calculation about taking out a loan to invest into the markets flawed? 13. Dragonfruits come from a cactus. Spot a possible improvement when reviewing a paper. Thought to have originated around WWII. I always assumed cactus was a reference to something "going to shit". If you miss read the wave and fall early you will be hurt when you land on the reef and you are “Cactus”. Long before “cactus” was ever used to describe something that was broken – usually beyond repair – the term “fucked” was used. Barbie. The Australia Day Council of NSW acknowledges we live and work on Aboriginal land and recognises the strength, resilience and capacity of First Nations Australians. background? 12. :) What I would give....:). How does one take advantage of unencrypted traffic? Cacti is the Latin plural of cactus, and some writers use it in English. Why are Australian redheads often called 'bluey'? As an indoor plant, this … 14. It’s often used in place of the word “f#$ked”. Derived from combining 'schooner' and 'middy'. First, the slang term apparently originated in RAAF in the 1940s (according to the Wikipedia quote above), well after the introduction of Cactoblastis, and with no obvious connection to it. Many Australians wrote to make the same point Rob Coates did: "Sometimes the single word 'cactus' is used but it's generally recognised to be a shortening of 'cactus fuctus'. autocomplete('#search-input', {hint: false}, [ This cactus is a forest type, which is why it looks so different from the stereotypical cactus. To combat it, the caterpillar/moth Cactoblastis (also South American native), was introduced in the 1920s. site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. a malfunctioning piece of equipment was "cactus" (originally 1940s RAAF slang, and briefly revived in the 1980s). ), Source: World Wide Words Michael Quinion, 2 Aug 09. 'Cactus Hour', sorry spelt it wrong in the question! Down under a “barbie” is short for barbecue. A cactus has no limits in throwing the number of colleagues under the bus but generally singles out 1 certain colleague who is … Cooee! Hence, anything in general that was useless became "cactus". How did Trump's January 6 speech call for insurrection and violence? Jim threw just two punches, and Jack was cactus. Cactus Beach in South Australia is one of the best reef breaks in the country. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. was most certainly native. It's possible that "cactus" is a euphemism for "cock", as in "cock fucked" or some such. to die, cease functioning. }); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Fair dinkum words and phrases, sent once a week. 'Coathanger' meaning 3 definitions. The word "cactus" derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek κάκτος, kaktos, a name originally used by Theophrastus (the successor to Aristotle) for a spiny plant whose identity is not certain. Menu. Growing Cactus or cacti is a great hobby and with the ability to grow these plants from both cuttings or offsets and seeds it is relatively easy. The blooms can be orange, pink, red, or white, depending on the plant. How to reveal a time limit without videogaming it? I think they're high on cactus buttons! displayKey: 'post_title', As the name suggests, E. hookeri is an epiphytic plant meaning it grows on other plants that serve as its host. Cacti are native through most of the length of North and South America, from British Columbia and Alberta southward; the southernmost limit of their range extends far into Chile and Argentina . Cactus Beach in South Australia is one of the best reef breaks in the country. Has a state official ever been impeached twice? Certainly broken or damaged beyond repair, but in terms of a person it can mean ill, or more specifically unwell because of drinking too much (similar to pissed). In fashion, the cactus has spread with a speed which is inherently uncactus-like. This cute, small, and prickly cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family consisting of about 1750 known species.The word "cactus" derives from Latin. Primarily heard in Australia. templates: { Australian slang 'Cactus' meaning? In German, can I have a sentence with multiple cases? When Japanese people talk to themselves, do they use formal or informal? A Cactus uses others in their workplace as collateral damage in order to gain their bosses approval. Cactus spines are actually modified leaves and that photosynthesis is performed by the stalk instead. Jim threw just two punches, and Jack was cactus. In fact container growing both indoors and out is a favoured method of growing in Australia. There is a cactus native to Morocco that is hotter than any chili pepper known to man. Hmmmmmm,,,. For example "this is Cactus". Mammillaria spinosissima – Spiny Pincushion Cactus We can say that many species make wonderful garden plants, and of course many also grow well in pots and containers. As Fucktus was a far too strong word for polite use it was contracted to cactus fuctus, and even more so to simply “cactus”. Was the storming of the US Capitol orchestrated by the Left? "Cactus" and "useless" don't rhyme, and although rhyming slang often involves a longer phrase that has been shortened such that the rhyming word isn't said, "cactus" isn't really part of any obvious longer phrases. Is it at all possible for the sun to revolve around as many barycenters as we have planets in our solar system? Alan Dodd (1926), "The Campaign against Prickly-Pear in Australia: Work of the Commonwealth Prickly-Pear Board,", Queensland Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2011), Fact sheet: Declared Class 1 and 2 Pest Plant, The prickly pear story. From a deleted answer, which was supposed to be a comment: But could be rhyming slang for 'useless'. defeated. In my snippet about the Australian expression last time, I Cacti are found from British Columbia to South America and have been introduced and adapted to Australia, East Africa and the Mediterranean, in places of warm and dry climate. Prickly pear cactuses grow in many warm parts of the world, including in the Southwest U.S., Australia, southern Africa, Mexico and other Latin American countries, and throughout the Mediterranean. Cactuses is the English plural. Second, in my experience the weed is always called 'prickly pear' in Australia, never 'cactus'. Translated to “dictionary of the language of flowers,” this publication formalized the study of plant symbolism. Succulents and cactus. Is it unidiomatic to say “an Australian person” or “an Aussie person”? The elusive and surprising cactus flower means. There is actually a whole … Cactus means severely hurt and must stop, it comes from Australian surf culture. Succulent plants and cactus are wonderful examples of nature’s adaptability as they have evolved to thrive in the driest parts of the world – places where most plants and indeed animals cannot survive. @Mr.prickles Your name fits perfectly with this question! dead, not functioning (“this bloody washing machine is cactus”), Up to shit, crappy (Originally a silly feaux latin term Cactus Pooperatus. Numerically stable way to compute sqrt((b²*c²) / (1-c²)) for c in [-1, 1]. Cactus definition is - any of a family (Cactaceae, the cactus family) of plants that have succulent stems and branches with scales or spines instead of leaves and … The Council also acknowledges all of the traditional owners of the land, and pays respect to First Nation Elders past, present and future. – Source. Vozza. How to make a square with circles using tikz? – Source. Used in a sentence. What it means in Australia? is your car running mate?" You beauty. source: autocomplete.sources.hits(index, {hitsPerPage: 10}), noted that there were no native cacti in that country. In rare versions, scorpions are said to come spewing out of the plant. Sydney Harbour bridge. Along the backroads of Carnarvon, 900 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia, a unique cactus garden has flourished in the town's tropical climate. What does 'Cactus' actually mean in Australia? Are good pickups in a bad guitar worth it? Most cacti feature thick photosynthetic stems and leaves that are modified as spines. An item won't work. Cactus spines are actually modified leaves and that photosynthesis is performed by the stalk instead. See also: button, cactus in the cactus A difficult situation, often one that is uncomfortable and/or unsettling. } Cacti are famous for having sharp spines. New Aussie slang in your inbox. Australian slang 'Cark it' meaning? kaktos, meaning spiny plant whose identity is not certain.A cactus actually symbolizes endurance as it is a plant that can really stand up to the test of time and the elements. console.log(event + ',' + suggestion.permalink + ',' + dataset); window.open(suggestion.permalink,"_self"); cactus buttons slang The hallucinogenic drug mescaline, which is derived from peyote (a type of cactus). It only takes a minute to sign up. (adjective) Dictionary ! ), Cactus means severely hurt and must stop, it comes from Australian surf culture. Glossaries / dictionaries of Australian slang (like this one, and this one) list cactus as meaning "dead, useless, or broken.". Also, like many names of plants, the uninflected cactus is sometimes treated as plural. This is said as a pseudo-Latin phrase to bring a touch of wry humour to an otherwise unfortunate situation. Penong (/ p ə ˈ n ɒ ŋ / p(ə)-NONG) is a town and locality on the Nullarbor Plain, in the far west of the state of South Australia located about 616 kilometres (383 mi) north-west of the state capital of Adelaide. The Aussies not only imported Cockney rhyming slang but added a lot of their own to it. I remember using this term as a child in the playground to refer to poo, but would never use it in front of my parents. defeated. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Tommo. Hence, CACTUS, in Australian slang, means: beaten, finished, ruined, kaput etc.e.g. Well, I note with great interest and concern that Citroen have a car called a "Cactus"......... Maybe for the Australian automotive market it's a play on some sort of marketing reverse psychology ? For example, a mechanic, after inspecting the starter motor in your car might announce 'No wonder it won't start, mate - this is cactus fuctus!'" It is also considered a climbing cactus as it produces airy elongated stems that the plant uses to grow on other plants. Why are diamond shapes forming from these evenly-spaced lines? "It's cactus fuctus". ... cactus +‎ -ed. What does cactused mean? It is the plural form of cactus, which refers to members of a family of spiny plants. Dragonfruits come from a cactus. The word “fucked” comes from many centuries and origins of use. to die, stop working, decease or to no longer exist. var client = algoliasearch("TDGYKE3N9A", "70e5ab1b8cfe0eb1e150de7e66072323") Contra the first comment, it seems much more believable that an event of generational significance (the caterpillars vs. the cactus) would work its way into popular slang a decade or so later than that it was some bizarre resurrection of 19th century street cryptography. Where is the location of this large stump and monument (lighthouse?) When done correctly – loudly and shrilly – a call of “cooee” can carry over a considerable distance. the term had been around for many years before my time. What you think it means? Yep, in Australia cactus doesn't always mean the plant. return suggestion._highlightResult.post_title.value; Do you have to see the person, the armor, or the metal when casting heat metal? CACTUS If your climate is right, edible cacti and succulents are extremely low-maintenance plants and delicious, too!. Meaning. "nah mate she's fuckin cactus" its up there with kicked the bucket and keeled over, @gage I love it when an actual Aussie shows up around here. Prickly Pear Cactus (native South American), was brought to Australia in 1788 on the First Fleet. I would like to suggest a different origin for 'cactus' - for several reasons. Translated to “dictionary of the language of flowers,” this publication formalized the study of plant symbolism. (From www.answers.com) Australian slang 'Coathanger' meaning? @JonHanna An online reference to "Cassell's Dictionary of Slang" claims kark was not used until the 1970's and that it is derived from the sound of a crow (but also, of course, close to "cack"). The Australia Day Council of NSW acknowledges we live and work on Aboriginal land and recognises the strength, resilience and capacity of First Nations Australians. Or it can mean they are about to lose a job or a relationship and there is no chance of recovery. 'Cark it' meaning 4 definitions. { Thus I believe that 'cactus' is simply a euphemism for 'f*cked', chosen because of it sounds similar, but is innocuous (like 'darned' instead of 'damned'). Featuring a cactus or cacti. The cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, which consists of about 1750-2000+ known species. Why do electronics have to be off before engine startup/shut down on a Cessna 172? This houseplant grows to between six and 12 inches tall and six to 18 inches wide. suggestion: function(suggestion) { 13. Also, the irony is that "Citroën" sounds like the French word "citron", which means "lemon". Hence, CACTUS, in Australian slang, means: beaten, finished, ruined, kaput etc.e.g. Cactus, flowering plant family comprising 139 genera and nearly 2,000 species, all of which are native to the New World with one possible exception. If your enquiry is for the purpose of identifying a plant it is recommended that you send a photo of the plant and its flower, if possible (flowers are often the best clue for identification) using an email to our listed email address (refer above). Cacti are found from British Columbia to South America and have been introduced and adapted to Australia, East Africa and the Mediterranean, in places of warm and dry climate. The exact size of your Christmas Cactus may vary depending on … 3. Is it a standard practice for a manager to know their direct reports' salaries? Cack=cactus Poop=pooperatus. For days, he trekked through desert plains dotted with cacti as vultures circled above his head. It’s not a plastic doll. Meaning: (Not) within a manageable distance. : Cactus are popular both in pots and the garden, we provide some basic hints on how to grow cactus nah cactus to us means its busted, broken or not working. " It’s something that is broken to the point it is no longer useful. – Source. 11. Meaning. The definition of a succulent plant is one that has "thick, fleshy, water-storing leaves or stems," so technically a cactus is a succulent. The cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, which consists of about 1750-2000+ known species. The Mojave fishhook cactus (S. polyancistrus) is a cylindroid cactus up to 40 cm (16 inches) in height and 13 cm (5.1 inches) in diameter and has showy red and white spines and large flowers. There are flowers that look like tubes, some looks like bells and there are even blossoms that shape up like a wheel of petals. While this cactus is most widely grown for its edible fruit and paddles (or pads/nopales), just about every part of the plant can be used in some way. Why do Aussies use “cactus” to mean “dead,” “useless,” or “broken”? A spiky plant. Though cacti has the edge, both forms are common in current news publications and blogs from throughout the English-speaking world—for example:. A succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem which typically bears spines, lacks leaves, and has brilliantly coloured flowers. var index = client.initIndex('wp_posts_post'); Just like the variety in color, the cactus flower can also differ from each other in shape. Leave this field empty if you're human: Fair dinkum words and phrases, sent once a week. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. is a shout used in Australia, usually in the Bush, to attract attention or indicate one’s own location. pointed out that the prickly pear had been imported from the US in ... She's cactus! With no settlements between it and Border Village on the border with Western Australia, 400 km (250 mi) away on the Eyre Highway, it is a popular rest-stop for travellers. You beauty. Is “gone” meaning “pregnant” a Britishism? (Australia, slang) Broken; ruined; no longer working, more recently especially related to a technical system. The word "cactus" derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek κάκτος, kaktos, a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cactus, (family Cactaceae), plural cacti or cactuses, flowering plant family (order Caryophyllales) with nearly 2,000 species and 139 genera. Cactus. It’s an epiphytic cactus, meaning it should be kept damp and cool to mimic the conditions of its original rainforest home. A 350 ml (12 fl oz) glass. Over the years has been shortened to just Cactus. Leave this field empty if you're human: Fair dinkum words and phrases, sent once a week. What does 'Cactus' mean in Australia? Figuratively suggesting a long way away. Did the slang term “The Bomb” meaning “Very Cool” come from the American Jazz scene? Eddie. Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Broken, or not functioning. Cargill. Some people ask what the difference is between cacti and succulents. Wildly successful, it practically eliminated the spiny exotic in a few years. Australian colloquialism may have originated as a result of the Australian prickly pear plague in the early 20th century, which overran farmland, making it unusable. If you miss read the wave and fall early you will be hurt when you land on the reef and you are “Cactus”. Cactus and Succulent Society of Australia Inc (CSSA Inc.) P O Box 321, Narre Warren North, VIC 3804. rev 2021.1.14.38315, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, English Language & Usage Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. The obvious reason that the usage of the term arose is that despite the hopes for an industry, the plant itself proved useless for any purpose - just occupying space, kind-of like politicians, but easier on the eye. It means finished, as in damaged beyond repair. John Weiss To be “fucked”, in the manner of procreation, was to be used to the complete end, so, by extension, any article or experience that was used to its complete end was “fucked”. – Source. 14. Variations: The plant is a cactus or a yucca, and it begins to shake, whine, or hum. Learn more about the members and physical characteristics of the family. the early 1800s as stock fodder but had become a serious invasive If a person is cactus, they are either dead or at death’s door. A cactus is a succulent plant of the family Cactaceae. What Does the Cactus Flower Mean? []Text-book cactuses flank the picturesque 449-yard, par-four 14th.BBC Wildly successful, it practically eliminated the spiny exotic in a few years. They can survive extreme conditions by storing water in their stems for extended periods of time. A cactus (plural cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. Photograph: Cartier. (An alternative spelling with the "k" in place is also common, I gather. @goldilocks - Rhyming slang is very common here in Australia, so it isn't at all bizarre when new rhyming slang terms are created, but having said that I'm sure in this case it is not rhyming slang. Arbitrarily large finite irreducible matrix groups in odd dimension? Plant and flower meanings became a popular subject to study after Joseph Hammer-Purgstall’s Dictionnaire du language des fleurs was published in 1809. Its an episode in series 3 of Kath & Kim The flower can bloom out in white or yellow but there are some that comes out in purple and reddish hues. Is it possible statically linking Apache 2.0, BSD-2, or MIT libraries to AGPL v3.0 binaries? There are 48 results for cactus … What does 'Cark it' mean in Australia? Well over sixty five years ago I was introduced to the term “cactus fucktus”. During my apprenticeship in Sydney in the 1970's this was often spelled out, e.g. – Source. The saguaro (/ s ə ˈ w ɑː r oʊ /, [citation needed] Spanish pronunciation: [saˈɣwaɾo] [citation needed]) (Carnegiea gigantea) is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea, that can grow to be over 12 meters (40 feet) tall.It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. What connection (if any) is there in Australian slang between 'dinkum' and 'dink' (meaning a ride on bicycle handlebars)? It could also be related to cack (and cack-handed). – Source. You can browse our individual species pages for pictures of a variety of cactus. It’s often used in place of the word “f#$ked” } Succulents and cactus plants at Flower Power. The Sydney Harbour Bridge. } Cack is slang for poo and probably comes from kaka in other languages. pest in New South Wales and Queensland by the latter part of the The other word explanations given here for “cactus” may be correct, but here in Australia where rhyming slang was very popular before the American language was strongly introduced, the word “cactus” was used as part of a two word rhyming expletive phrase, Cactus Fucktus. 11. Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. nineteenth century. My computer is cactused! Source:istock. New Aussie slang in your inbox. ]).on('autocomplete:selected', function(event, suggestion, dataset) { Jeff. Plant and flower meanings became a popular subject to study after Joseph Hammer-Purgstall’s Dictionnaire du language des fleurs was published in 1809. There is a cactus native to Morocco that is hotter than any chili pepper known to man. Cacti is the Latin plural of cactus, and some writers use it in English.Cactuses is the English plural.Dictionaries list both, and neither is right or wrong. “Fucked” is the past tense of “fuck”. 12.