From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walkabout is an English language expression with several meanings:
[edit] Definitions
- Walkabout is an Australian pidgin (or perhaps quasi-pidgin) term referring to the belief that Australian Aborigines "go walkabout" at the age of thirteen in the wilderness for six months as a rite of passage. They then trace the path of the ceremonial ancestors of their tribe, following the exact route that those ancestors took, and imitating in a fashion, their heroic deeds. The term is used in the film Crocodile Dundee among others. It is also a main theme in the book Mutant Message Down Under.
- This meaning has lead to a jocular modern usage, whereby someone who has unexpectedly wandered off to destination uncertain is said to have 'gone walkabout'. It can also apply to a missing item, for example, "Have you seen my stapler? It's gone walkabout again."
- In the UK, a walkabout is a name for organized group meetings in which members of the British Royal Family walk past assembled crowds of onlookers, meeting and chatting with various members of the public.
- Walkabout may be used to refer to a person's desire to travel without a planned itinerary or set destination; the more common English term is wanderlust.
- Walkabout is an Australian themed pub chain found in the UK selling primarily Australian beers.
[edit] Disambiguations
