guernsey

guernsey
Guernsey is the second largest of the Channel Islands. The name is used attributively to designate things found in or associated with Guernsey. Thus the term Guernsey cow for an animal of a breed of usually brown and white dairy cattle that originated in Guernsey. In the early nineteenth century the term Guernsey shirt arose for `a close-fitting woollen sweater, especially one worn by sailors'. During the gold rushes in Australia in the mid nineteenth century, in a specialisation of this sense, the term guernsey was used to describe a kind of shirt worn by gold-miners: 1852 F. Lancelot, Australia as it Is: The usual male attire is a pair of common slop trowsers, a blue guernsey... a broad-brimmed cabbage-tree hat. In a further specialisation in Australian English, the term guernsey was used to refer to a football jumper, especially as worn by a player of Australian Rules football: 1925 Bulletin: The majority was with an urchin who 'wasn't takin' any chance with a snake in a football guernsey. 1945 Australian Week-end Book: His football guernsey isn't striped so darkly. 1969 A. Hopgood, And the Big Men Fly: Drop-kick your way to fame and fortune in number 10 guernsey. 1973 K. Dunstan, Sports: On this cushion was the most cherished article in all Collingwood - the No. 1 black and white Collingwood guernsey. From the football meaning there arose the phrase to get a guernsey or be given a guernsey, meaning to win selection for a sporting team. In a widening of this sense, the phrase came to mean 'to win selection, recognition, approbation', and is commonly used in non-sporting contexts: 1957 D. Whitington, Treasure upon Earth: The executive won't give me a guernsey for the Senate. 1975 Bulletin: Doug was the next man on the NSW Liberal Country Party ticket... and if everything goes according to the rules... then he should be the one to get the guernsey for Canberra. 1979 The Age: `To get a guernsey'... Originally it was a great honour to be selected for a Victorian Football League team. Now it means to be invited, selected or included in just about anything.

Australian idioms. 2014.

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  • Guernsey — Guernsey, WY U.S. town in Wyoming Population (2000): 1147 Housing Units (2000): 612 Land area (2000): 1.074653 sq. miles (2.783339 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.013408 sq. miles (0.034727 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.088061 sq. miles (2.818066 sq …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Guernsey — ► NOUN (pl. Guernseys) 1) a breed of dairy cattle from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, noted for producing rich, creamy milk. 2) (guernsey) a thick sweater made from oiled wool. 3) (guernsey) Austral. a football shirt …   English terms dictionary

  • Guernsey —   [ gəːnzi, englisch], französisch Guernesey [gɛrnə zɛ], eine der direkt der britischen Krone unterstehenden Kanalinseln, 63 km2, 58 900 Einwohner, Amtssprache ist Englisch. Die Insel steigt nach Süden hin auf etwa 100 m über dem Meeresspiegel an …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Guernsey, IA — U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 70 Housing Units (2000): 34 Land area (2000): 0.184309 sq. miles (0.477359 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.184309 sq. miles (0.477359 sq. km) FIPS code:… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Guernsey, WY — U.S. town in Wyoming Population (2000): 1147 Housing Units (2000): 612 Land area (2000): 1.074653 sq. miles (2.783339 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.013408 sq. miles (0.034727 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.088061 sq. miles (2.818066 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Guernsey — an island in the English Channel near northwest France. Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands. It is popular for holidays and famous as a place where people pay very little tax …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Guernsey — (spr. Gernsi), 1) eine der englisch normannischen Inseln im Kanal la Manche, an der Küste von Frankreich; 41/3 QM., felsige Küsten, guter Graswuchs, Viehzucht, Handel u. Schifffahrt; 29,757 Ew.; Hauptort: St. Pierre, Sitz des Gouverneurs, hat… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Guernsey — (spr. görnsĭ), eine der zu England gehörigen Kanalinseln (Sarmia der Alten), 64,8 qkm groß mit (1901) 40,477 Einw., hat die Gestalt eines rechtwinkligen Dreiecks, mit steiler, von liefen Schluchten zerrissener Südküste, während das nördliche… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Guernsey — (spr. görnsĕ; frz. Guernesey, spr. gern seh), eine der Normannischen Inseln, 65 qkm, mit Herm und Jethou (1901) 40.477 E.; befestigt; Hauptstadt St. Pierre …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Guernsey — (Ghernsi), s. normannische Inseln …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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