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- brown bomber1
a parking inspector. Compare grey bomber, grey ghost, blue bomber, sticker licker. [from the brown colour of their uniform (now grey or blue)]
Contributor's comments: Now that the brown bombers have had a uniform change, it is my understanding that they had been re-named as grey ghosts.
Contributor's comments: "Grey ghost" used on Perth, after colour of uniform.
Contributor's comments: I have also heard brown bomber used to describe parking inspectors in Adelaide. A few years ago they changed their uniforms to blue and put 'information' on their hats to try to change their image but all it seemed to do was create the 'blue bomber'.
Contributor's comments: Sydney suburbs until 1999 "Brown bomber" used but has declined since changing to grey uniform.
Contributor's comments: [Adelaide informant] I had always heard of brown bombers when I lived in Sydney, was interested to read of blue bombers in this website, when I moved here in '85 people were calling them sticker lickers.
Contributor's comments: During the 1970-80s in Sydney Brown Bombers were parking policemen, in early 1990s they changed their uniforms, and are known now as Grey Ghosts.
- brown bomber2
Cicadas which weren't of the bright green variety but rather dull grey brown. I now wonder whether they really were cicadas or not some other insect. I thought the term may just have been used in the northern suburbs of Sydney but I have since discovered that my husband from the southern suburbs called them 'brown bombers' as well. He also had the term 'black prince' for small dark cicadas. Of course, we also had 'green grocer' cicadas but I think this is pretty commonly used: I found a brown bomber on the back wall. Compare black prince, brown baker, greengrocer2, pisswhacker, tick tock, yellow Monday.
- black prince
noun a type of black cicada. Compare brown baker, brown bomber2, cherrynose, floury baker, greengrocer2, pisswhacker, tick tock, yellow Monday.
Contributor's comments: I would add "Floury Baker" - a cicada, usually a larger one, which is a darkish colour with grey/white markings, often found in the Manly area of Sydney in the 1940s and 1950s. Also the "Cherrynose" - a similar cicada with a red nose.
Contributor's comments: Some cicadas I knew of and chased as a kid: 'white ghost', 'tom thumb', 'double drummer', 'cherry prince'. The cherry princes were basically the same as black princes but with red eyes.
- blue bomber
a parking inspector. Compare brown bomber, grey bomber, grey ghost, sticker licker. [from their blue uniforms]
Contributor's comments: I have also heard brown bomber used to describe parking inspectors in Adelaide. A few years ago they changed their uniforms to blue and put 'information' on their hats to try to change their image but all it seemed to do was create the 'blue bomber'.
Contributor's comments: [Adelaide informant] I had always heard of brown bombers when I lived in Sydney, was interested to read of blue bombers in this website, when I moved here in '85 people were calling them sticker lickers.
- brown baker
noun a type of brown cicada. Compare black prince, brown bomber2, cherrynose, floury baker, greengrocer2, pisswhacker, tick tock, yellow Monday.
- cherrynose
noun a type of cicada with a red nose. Compare brown baker, brown bomber2, floury baker, greengrocer2, pisswhacker, tick tock, yellow Monday.
- floury baker
noun a type of cicada, a larger one, which is a darkish colour with grey/white markings, often found in the Manly area of Sydney in the 1940s and 1950s. Compare black prince, brown baker, brown bomber2, cherrynose, greengrocer2, pisswhacker, tick tock, yellow Monday.
Contributor's comments: I would add "Floury Baker" - a cicada, usually a larger one, which is a darkish colour with grey/white markings, often found in the Manly area of Sydney in the 1940s and 1950s. Also the "Cherrynose" - a similar cicada with a red nose.
- greengrocer2
noun a type of green cicada. Compare black prince, brown baker, brown bomber2, cherrynose, floury baker, pisswhacker, tick tock, yellow Monday.
- grey bomber
Parking Police, Parking Officer: Move your car, Grey Bombers are out today. Compare blue bomber, brown bomber, grey ghost, sticker licker.
- grey ghost1
noun a parking inspector. Compare blue bomber, brown bomber, grey bomber, sticker licker. [from their grey uniforms]
Editor's comments: Has anyone heard of parking inspectors referred to as grey ghosts anywhere else other than Perth?
Contributor's comments: I believe that the term "grey ghost" was only an invention of the print media. In general parlance when the parking police uniform changed I believe that most people just dropped the word "brown" from "brown bomber" and just called them "bombers".
Contributor's comments: I have heard them called this in Perth.
Contributor's comments: I grew up in Perth; and in the 1970s and 80s, I believed that 'grey ghost' was the universal expression for those creepy parking inspectors ('inspectres', perhaps?) who would appear out of nowhere in their grey uniforms and punish your car for simply existing. Then I discovered that Perth is not the universe....
Contributor's comments: I have lived in Perth all my life. I have never heard a parking inspector called anything but a grey ghost. Barring swear words of course.
Contributor's comments: I've no idea what the uniform is but I've always heard of them referred to as Grey Ghosts in Perth.
Contributor's comments: Grey ghost has been a common phase for parking inspector in WA.
Contributor's comments: Yes I have heard them referred to as "Grey Ghosts". Also my father used to call them "parking parasites".
Contributor's comments: "Grey Ghost" is certainly used in Perth.
Contributor's comments: I have heard them called 'grey ghosts' in Melbourne, not often but enough to know what the expression means. They are most often called 'parking officers' now; never blue or brown bombers or sticker lickers.
- pisswhacker
noun a type of cicada that urinated on your hand when you held it. Compare black prince, brown baker, brown bomber2, cherrynose, floury baker, green grocer2, tick tock, yellow Monday.
- sticker licker
noun a parking inspector. Compare brown bomber, blue bomber, grey bomber, grey ghost.
Contributor's comments: Person who issues parking fines to cars parked illegally or overtime: "I'd better move the car before the sticker licker gets to it!"
Contributor's comments: Listening to your programme today on the radio would like to confirm that Sticker Licker was/is common in Adelaide.
- tick tock
children's name for the small black and orange cicadas found in WA: Listen to the tick tocks - there must be thousands! Compare black prince, brown baker, brown bomber2, green grocer2, pisswhacker, yellow Monday.
- yellow Monday
noun a type of yellowish cicada. Compare black prince, brown baker, brown bomber2, cherrynose, floury baker, greengrocer2, pisswhacker, tick tock.
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