Dinkums

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Genuine, authentic or true, a term used especially in Australian slang ; honest labor or the plain truth, often in phrases like fair play
2. Authentic and real, as used in Australian speech ; sincere effort or straightforward truth, especially in the phrase fair and square
3. Real or genuine in Australian informal usage ; honest work or the unvarnished facts behind something

Etymology: The origin of this Australian and New Zealand word is unknown. Dictionaries have not settled where it came from. A popular story links it to a Chinese phrase for gold mining, but no evidence supports that link, and it is generally dismissed. The plural form appears mainly in phrases such as "the dinkums," meaning the plain truth, as in "tell me the real dinkum." The adjective, usually in the phrase "fair dinkum," means genuine, honest, or true, and it remains most at home in Australian and New Zealand speech.

Synonyms: genuine, authentic, honest, real, true

Antonyms: fake, phony, bogus, sham