the United
States, where it is used as a name for the constellation of the
<i>Great Bear</i>.

1893. `Australasian Schoolmaster,' Feb.:

"These answers have not the true colonial ring of the
following, which purports to be the remark of the woman of
Samaria: `Sir, the well is very deep, and you haven't got
a dipper.'"

<hw>Dips</hw>, <i>n</i>. Explained in quotation.

1859. G. Bunce, `Travels with Leichhardt,' p. 161:

". . . Dr. Leichhardt gave the party a quantity of dough boys,
or as we called them, dips. . ."

[p. 171]: "In this dilemma, Dr. Leichhardt ordered the cook to
mix up a lot of flour, and treated us all to a feed of dips.
These were made as follows:--a quantity of flour was mixed up
with water, and stirred with a spoon to a certain consistency,
and dropped into a pot of boiling water, a spoonful at a time.
Five minutes boiling was sufficient, when they were eaten with
the water in which they were boiled."

<hw>Dirt</hw>, <i>n</i>. In Australia, any alluvial deposit in
which gold is found; properly <i>Wash-dirt</i>. The word is
used in the United States. See quotation, 187.

1853. Mrs. Chas. Clancy, `Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings,'
p. 109:

"And after doing this several times, the `dirt,' of course,
gradually diminishing, I was overjoyed to see a few bright
specks."

1857. Borthwick, `California,' [Bartlett, quoted in `O.E.D.']
p. 120:

"In California, `dirt' is the universal word to signify the
substance dug; earth, clay, gravel, or loose slate. The miners
talk of rich dirt and poor dirt, and of stripping off so many
feet of `top dirt' before getting to `pay-dirt,' the latter
meaning dirt with so much gold in it that it will pay to dig it
up and wash it."

1870. J. O. Tucker, `The Mute,'p. 40:

"Others to these the precious dirt convey,
Linger a moment till the panning's through."

1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. xiv. p. 142:

"We were clean worked out . . . before many of our neighbours
at Greenstone Gully, were half done with their dirt."

Ibid. c. xviii. p. 177:

"We must trust in the Oxley `dirt' and a kind Providence."

<hw>Dish</hw>, <i>n</i>. and <i>adj</i>. a small and rough
vessel in which gold is washed. The word is used in the United
States.

1890. `Goldfields of Victoria,' p. 17:

"I have obtained good dish prospects after crudely crushing up
the quartz."

<hw>Dishwasher</hw>, <i>n</i>. an old English bird-name for the
Water-Wagtail