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English to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Slang / Australian slang
English term or phrase:banana bender
I know what it means, ie Queenslander, but I don't understand if it really implies that the bananas grown in Queensland are straight and have therefore to be bent. I found this information in a couple of websites (eg http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/HAMPSHIRE-LIFE/2001-12/... yet I suspect it is a joke. Thanks a lot in advance.
Since you already know that this is indeed a slang term for a Queenslander, and that it is in fact a joke and probably a racial slur, I was thinking it may be referring to a pointless act.
As far as I know all bananas are already bent, so to be a banana bender is foolish and unnecessary.
Let's suppose that the bananas in Queensland do grow straight. Why on Earth would someone want to bend them? If the expression is meant to be an "insult" it's probably suggesting that a Queenslander is silly enough to attempt to bend a banana.
This is just a simple guess.
Good luck from Oso ¶:^)
I was just asking for a confirmation, possibly from Australians. By the way, this reminds me of the German saying "Warum warum ist die Banane krumm?" ;-))
But this one has it qualified as a racial slur (that\'s probably why the one I cited above says Queenslanders themselves never ever use the term): http://www.rsdb.org/
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http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/res/aewords/aewords_hr.php
Queenslander
Queenslander, a person who is native to or resident in Queensland naturally finds a place in The Australian National Dictionary, along with Victorian, Tasmanian, Westralian, Territorian, and New South Welshman.
The first citation for Queenslander is 1860, only one year after it was constitued as a separate colony in 1859, having previously formed part of New South Wales. Subsequent citations to the 1970s tend to present the Queenslander favourably, but later citations reflect a more disparaging attitude towards the inhabitants of this State, perhaps reflecting an increase in interstate rivalry, or perhaps indicating the attitude of Southerners towards what are popularly perceived as the conservative views of the inhabitants of the Sunshine State:
The Sydney down-and-out can immediate elevate himself by making some disparaging remark about Queenslanders. H. Lunn, Queenslanders (1984).
Similar sentiment is evident in the nickname Banana-bender frequently applied to Queenslanders:
To the rest of the country Queensland was the home of the \'Banana Benders\'. This, to Queenslanders.. was not a term of endearment. M. Grant, Barrier Reef (1980).
The Australian National Dictionary acknowledges a transferred sense of the word Queenslander in the citation:
Your business was the sale of some Queenslanders - cattle, you know. I. A. Rosenblum, Stella Sothern (1911).
Another transferred usage of Queenslander, according the database at the Australian National Dictionary Centre, is its application to a distinct type of dwelling suited to tropical or semi-tropical conditions: an elevated,usually spacious, weatherboard house designed to maximise air movement in a humid climate:
Isn\'t our house grand? It\'s an old Queenslander. R. Fitzgerald, Busy in the Fog (1990).
Where else could you find a Queenslander at almost land value with a boat mooring at your back door? Courier Mail (8 October 1994).
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It does seem to be a rhyming slang term:
Oz Slang (dictionary)
... Bag of fruit Rhyming slang for a man’s suit. Banana Bender A person from
Queensland. Barbie Barbecue. Bastard A term of abuse, but it can also be one of ... www.pacificislandtravel.com/ australia/about_destin/culture_dictionary.asp - 90k - Cached - Similar pages
Dingo Lingo
... Bag of fruit - a man\'s suit (rhyming slang) Banana Bender - Queenslander (used
with caution, if at all, in Queensland) Barbie - a barbecue (grill) ... www.downunderontop.com/lingo.htm - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
Since you already know that this is indeed a slang term for a Queenslander, and that it is in fact a joke and probably a racial slur, I was thinking it may be referring to a pointless act.
As far as I know all bananas are already bent, so to be a banana bender is foolish and unnecessary.
Let's suppose that the bananas in Queensland do grow straight. Why on Earth would someone want to bend them? If the expression is meant to be an "insult" it's probably suggesting that a Queenslander is silly enough to attempt to bend a banana.
This is just a simple guess.
Good luck from Oso ¶:^)
xxxOso Works in field Native speaker of: Spanish PRO pts in category: 12
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +5
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