waltz Matilda

Definition

To travel on foot carrying a swag (belongings wrapped in a blanket); to travel in this manner looking for work.

Etymology

From waltz + matilda (“romantic name for a swag”).

Example Sentences

• "Coercionist Byrnes tells an S. M. Herald reporter that things in Queensland are eminently satisfactory. He doesn't "Waltz Matilda," evidently."
• "As far as I was concerned the choice was Alice Springs, the center of the great Outback or a box car. There was no contest. I was ready to waltz Matilda."
• "A 1928 bestseller offered the opinion that ‘there is only one way of getting off the beaten track—take a swag. Victoria is full of possibilities for the walker willing to “waltz Matilda”,’ and went on to describe the track."