Where "Barcoo" Comes From
The Barcoo is a river in the arid interior of western Queensland, and its name became shorthand in Australian slang for the harsh, remote outback more generally.
It's best known through the phrase "Barcoo salute" — the wave of a hand used to brush away persistent bush flies — alongside older, rarer terms like "Barcoo rot" and "Barcoo spews," once used for outback ailments.
"Out past Barcoo country, you'll need the Barcoo salute to keep the flies off."
How Aussies Actually Use It
"Barcoo" crops up mostly in the phrase "Barcoo salute," still a recognisable, good-humoured description of the constant fly-waving that comes with outback life.
On its own, it's used adjectivally to flag something as authentically remote or bush, in the same spirit as "beyond the black stump."
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