An Australian Aboriginal grub or larva, particularly the wood-boring larva of a beetle; also used as slang for various things in Australian English.
From an Australian Aboriginal language, likely Yolŋu or another northern Australian language. The word entered English through early colonial contact with Aboriginal peoples and remains in use in Australian vernacular.
Bardies (the grubs) were actually an important protein source for Aboriginal Australians—they contain more fat and calories than beef, and early colonists soon learned to hunt them too in times of food shortage!
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