'OZ' speakers: what's the meaning?

'Smack Your Wagging Kid Or Get A Fine'

That's what i read on some news headline, from aussie news.  I can understand the violence threat, 'smack' but what is 'wagging'?  is it like 'wanking'?  and this activity is probably in public, otherwise who cares and no fine (monetary penalty).  So, please,  all the OZZY people here, help me out.

Didn't see the headline, so I'm guessing it's about kids "wagging" school for the day. That is, "playing hookey"

Yes, skipping school to go elsewhere...happens a lot down under!

Yep, one of the few Aussie expressions that kids still know, along with BLUDGE and DOB.
Otherwise it's burgers, fries, REpeat, DEfence, REsearch........
Cocacolanisation is all but complete, as first George's generation, then mine, shuffle off this mortal coil.

EG One of my Brazilian delights asked me today "What is faggot mean?"
Rather than correcting her grammar, or telling her it was a bundle of sticks to make a fire, or even indeed a kind of sausage, I told her that unfortunately, it meant "homosexual".
"Ha," she huskily snorted at her fellow Brazilian. "You are the faggot".
Then I told her it really only applied to males.

Wagging, a time honoured tradition 

Wagging, a time honoured tradition 

For a scholarly study of some Aussie Hua, click

http://www.als.asn.au/proceedings/als2003/stollznow.pdf:

We don't claim "wanker" as our own. Northern Hemisphere types have been doing this for eons.

Good choice, Gonzo...that article is written by Karen Stillnowz, a teacher at the uni I'm doing my MA (UNE). Knows her stuff, too 

It's very simple. Mischievous Australian children like to have themselves hoisted from flagpoles, where they wag merrily in the breeze for hours on end. When caught, parents are expected to smack the errant children with didgeridoos. Failure to do so can evoke legal penalties, such as a monetary fine, or being forced to actually eat Vegemite (which they don't normally really eat but claim they do so other countries will think they're insane and leave them alone), or of course the time-honored and much-beloved Boot To The Bum.

We don't claim "wanker" as our own. Northern Hemisphere types have been doing this for eons.

Interesting. I wonder how the term became so closely associated with Australians?

Interesting. I wonder how the term became so closely associated with Australians?

Because we talk about USAnians a lot!!

Hey, my Chinese students actually like Vegemite! 

I was surprised, but I am convinced it is genuine.

Vegemite is a 50/50 thing with the Chinese people I've given it to.  Some ask me for jars, others go 'ugh'.  I have gradually converted a very astute, clever USAnian to vegemite, but it wasn't nearly s easy as converting him (or anyone else!) to TimTams as the BEST chocolate biscuit in the world - NO exception!

Well, of course!

TimTams as the BEST chocolate biscuit in the world - NO exception!

Absolutely!

Quote

Interesting. I wonder how the term became so closely associated with Australians?

Because we talk about USAnians a lot!!

Yes, I'm sure you do, which leads of course to its own lines of conjecture...but you don't normally do it where we can hear you...so this doesn't really explain the correlation.

Hey, my Chinese students actually like Vegemite!

Yes, but they also like stinky tofu, duck lungs, bitter melon, baijiu, and all manner of other non-comestibles. No points here.

but you don't normally do it where we can hear you...

Of course! We are sensitive folks. We don't want to hurt your delicate feelings.