An Australian slang term, often used to describe something tedious or long-winded. When Bertie cites “all that palarver” about Indigenous people being fighters in the past, ironically enough, his mother reprimands him, insisting that he should “speak the King’s English.”
Get the entire Black Diggers LitChart as a printable PDF.
Palarver Term Timeline in Black Diggers
The timeline below shows where the term Palarver appears in Black Diggers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act One
...cared about him. Bertie insists that Indigenous people used to be fighters and “all that palarver”—his mother objects to the word “palarver,” asking him to “speak the King’s English.” Bertie wants...
(full context)
