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cantaloupe


noun the edible fruit of a melon, with orange-coloured flesh; rockmelon. Also, cantaloup. [French cantaloup, from Italian Cantalupo, a former estate of the Pope near Rome, where it was first grown in Europe]

Contributor's comments: [Perth informant] These melons are commonly called rockmelons, but cantaloupe is sometimes used in restaurants.

Contributor's comments: Sydney until 1999, always "Rockmelon".

Contributor's comments: [Perth informant] We called a rock melon a canteloupe in Victoria but western Ozzies refer to them as rockies.

Contributor's comments: Rock melon, large spherical fruit with rough green and yellow skin and orange flesh with small seeds in the centre cavity: "In Victoria I used to call this fruit cantelope but in Queensland no-one seems to recognise that name referring to it as rock melon."


Contributor's comments: I grew up in East Gippsland and always referred to this melon as 'Cantaloupe', only recently (the past 3-4 years) has the term 'rockmelon' begun to enter every day use, I notice that major supermarket chains refer to it as rockmelon - usurping the local vernacular use of 'cantaloupe'.

Contributor's comments: For the last 50 years, in Sydney and Canberra, it has always been "rockmelon".

Contributor's comments: [Melbourne informant] My family has always used this term for rock melon ...particularly in the 50's and 60's.

Contributor's comments: As I understand it Canteloupe isused in Victoria and California and nowhere else. Maybe dates back to gold rush.

Contributor's comments: [Melbourne informant] syn: rock melon: "Would you like some canteloupe?"

Contributor's comments: I grew up in Melbourne in the 1960's and 70's. A cantaloupe was the orange fleshed melon. Honeydew melon referred to the green fleshed fruit, but this was sometimes interchangeable with rockmelon. This still seems to be the case.

Contributor's comments: Gowing up in the 80's there was often a fun spirited argument at the dinner table as to whether we were having 'cantalope' or 'rockmelon' (Mum was from Vic and Dad from NSW/Qld). Now I have the same disscusion with my husband while doing the shopping!!

Contributor's comments: I grew up in Melbourne & knew of nothing other than a 'cantaloupe' until I moved out of home interstate.

Contributor's comments: As a child in the Wimmera region my parents grew there own Rock Melons. It wasn't till I went to Melbourne did I come across the word cantaloupe.

Contributor's comments: I grew up in Melbourne and we always used the term "canteloupe". When I married a Perth girl I was surprised that they always used the words "rock melon"

Contributor's comments: Cantaloupe is used in several American states including Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia.

Contributor's comments: I grew up in Vic then moved to NSW but will always call them cantaloupes even if it I do get strange looks!