hills hoist: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Common in Australian English; rare or unknown in other English varieties.Informal, colloquial; often used generically in Australian context.
Quick answer
What does “hills hoist” mean?
A brand of rotary clothesline, commonly used in Australia to refer to any similar outdoor rotary clothesline for drying laundry.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A brand of rotary clothesline, commonly used in Australia to refer to any similar outdoor rotary clothesline for drying laundry.
Symbolically represents Australian suburban culture, outdoor living, and post-war domestic innovation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British and American English, the term 'hills hoist' is not commonly used; 'rotary clothesline', 'clothesline', or 'rotary dryer' are preferred.
Connotations
In Australian English, it connotes nostalgia, suburban life, and practicality; in other dialects, it has no specific connotations or is unfamiliar.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in British and American English.
Grammar
How to Use “hills hoist” in a Sentence
in the backyardfor drying clotheswith a hills hoistVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; may appear in contexts related to home appliances, retail, or Australian manufacturing.
Academic
Occasionally used in cultural studies, sociology, or history discussing Australian iconography.
Everyday
Common in Australian domestic conversations about laundry, gardening, and home maintenance.
Technical
Used in engineering or product design when referring to the mechanism and structure of rotary clotheslines.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hills hoist”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hills hoist”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hills hoist”
- Misspelling as 'hill's hoist' or 'hills hoists'.
- Using it outside Australian context without explanation, leading to confusion.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is primarily used in Australian English and is rare in other varieties such as British or American English.
Yes, in Australian English, it is often used generically to refer to any rotary clothesline, though it originated as a brand name.
It is pronounced /hɪlz hɔɪst/ in both British and American English, with 'hills' rhyming with 'ills' and 'hoist' sounding like 'hoist' in 'hoist the flag'.
It symbolizes post-war suburban development in Australia and is considered an iconic piece of Australian domestic life, representing practicality and outdoor living.
A brand of rotary clothesline, commonly used in Australia to refer to any similar outdoor rotary clothesline for drying laundry.
Hills hoist is usually informal, colloquial; often used generically in australian context. in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Hills' as the brand and 'Hoist' as lifting clothes high to dry in the hills of the backyard.
Conceptual Metaphor
A symbol of elevation and efficiency in household chores, representing the rise of suburban convenience and Australian resilience.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'hills hoist' primarily used for?