boil down

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

v.


to reduce a statement to itssimplest form; a constant term amongst pressmen. Over thereporters' table in the old `Daily Telegraph' office(Melbourne) there was a big placard with the words – «Boil itdown.» The phrase is in use in England. `O.E.D.' quotes`Saturday Review,' 1880. The metaphor is from the numerousboiling-down establishments for rendering fat sheep intotallow. See quotation, 1878.

1878. F. P. Labilliere, `Early History of the Colony ofVictoria,' vol. ii. p. 330:

«The first step which turned the tide of ill-fortune was theintroduction of the system of boiling down sheep. When stockbecame almost worthless, it occurred to many people that, whena fleece of wool was worth from half-a-crown to three shillingsin England, and a sheep's tallow three or four more, the valueof the animal in Australia ought to exceed eighteenpence or twoshillings. Accordingly thousands of sheep were annually boileddown after shearing . . . until . . . the gold discovery; andthen `boiling down,' which had saved the country, had to begiven up. . . . The Messrs. Learmonth at Buninyong . . . foundit answered their purpose to have a place of their own, insteadof sending their fat stock, as was generally done, to a public`boiling down' establishment.»

1895. `The Argus,' Aug. 17, p. 8, col. 2:

«Boiled down, the matter comes to this.»

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