From the Spiv-tionary: when they say what they mean do they mean what they say?

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (Image: AAP/Dean Lewis)

There is, we are swiftly learning, a full parallel language for shonks and spivs that sounds almost indistinguishable from English but with which it shares almost no meanings.

‘The people understand/the people know…’: If you want to tell people you’ve done nothing wrong but, for some reason, are suffering a want of credibility in your statements, just quote the amorphous masses who all agree on one thing. Example, per New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian: “I know the people of this state know I have done nothing wrong. I never have and I never will.”

Grass castles: From the darker end of the Spiv-tionary, “grass castle” was the phrase used by Justice Woodward to describe luxury homes in Griffith associated with mafia boss, alleged activist killer and alleged weed kingpin Tony Sergi.