Talk:Australian English

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 Definition:  The varieties of the English language as used in Australia. [d] [e]
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 Subgroup category:  Australia
 Talk Archive:  none  English language variant:  Australian English

I am intrigued by the Australian use of the word "spill" to mean (apparently) a caucus meeting held with the purpose of trying to remove the leadership. It's very expressive, and I wonder how it developed. --Martin Wyatt (talk) 21:44, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

GA Wilkes, Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms, 1990 edition, Sydney UP in association with OUP Australia, page 310:

spill In politics, the declaring of a number of offices in the party vacant as a result of one vacancy occurring.

Does that fit the context? Peter Jackson (talk) 11:34, 12 March 2015 (UTC)
It looks as though the meaning has been extended since 1990. The party meeting to try to get rid of Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier this year was described as a "spill room". The definition you quote looks like a stage in the development of the meaning, and makes it more understandable. --Martin Wyatt (talk) 20:10, 12 March 2015 (UTC)
2008 edieion of the same book says (much) the same as earlier. Peter Jackson (talk) 17:57, 19 March 2015 (UTC)
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