galah

plural galahs

1. A member of species Eolophus roseicapilla of pink and grey species of cockatoos, native to Australia.

   Yet the beauty of Galahs is still often underappreciated.

   2024, Russell McGregor, Enchantment by Birds, Melbourne: Scribe, page 16

   3 more examples

   The change is pleasant in many ways; the grass is better and there is a good road to travel on; pigeons in crowds fly all around, galahs and other birds make merry everywhere.

   1879 September 27, The Queenslander, Brisbane, page 397, column 1

   There were red-tailed cockatoos, casuarina cockatoos, a little corella and a galah.

   1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber, published 2003, page 434

   The Galah has benefited from changes in the environment brought about by human activities (Rowley, 1990; Saunders and Ingram, 1995; Forshaw, 2002). The Galah′s diet is predominantly seeds, especially those from cereal crops and agricultural weeds.

   2005, David Lindenmayer, Mark A. Burgman, Practical Conservation Biology, page 175

   Synonyms: pink and grey cockatoo, roseate cockatoo, rose-breasted cockatoo

2. AustraliaslangA fool, an idiot.

   That galah nearly drove me off the road.

   4 more examples

   ‘Don′t just stand there, you great galah, lend a hand here!’ Billy Kemp shoved Edmund towards the longboat. ‘Get it free. The lads are bringing up the casks.’

   1991, Patricia Shaw, River of the Sun, unnumbered page

   ‘But, Sergeant, I reckon a man would look a proper galah falling about with an empty rifle, going click, click, click, “bang you′re dead” when he wasn′t doing rifle drill on parade, like when it′s not official, know what I mean?’ one of the infantrymen volunteers.

   1999, Bryce Courtenay, Solomon's Song, unnumbered page

   ‘[…]Then you will strut around like a great galah tryin′ to impress the sheilas about what a fuckin′ big iron ore miner you are.’

   2006, John Chalmers, The Professional Guest, page 13

   Nicky: 'Of course I came. You called me. I am here to help you.' (NICKY sneezes) / Sam: 'You called this galah?'

   2020, "Moments of Silence", in Taskmaster, series 10, episode 8, Channel 4, character scripts in The Smart Steak

   Synonyms: drongo