"Bloke" is a slang term for "man." It is used primarily in the British Isles, Australia and New Zealand. The origin is unknown but may derive from Celtic ploc "large, stubborn person;" or "Gypsy and Hindi loke "a man."[1] In Australia, the poet C. J. Dennis popularised the term in a 1915 poem, The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke. This was adapted into an extremely popular film, The Sentimental Bloke, in 1919. Australian comedian Chris Franklin reached number one on the Australian charts in 2000 with his song "Bloke". The British parody character Ali G uses the term "bloke" frequently when referring to recollecting about someone in third person. In Australian English, a similar term is "sheila", a generic (sometimes mildly derogatory) term for a woman.
References
- ^ Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary.. Retrieved on June 30, 2007.
