Have you ever wondered why Australians often refer to someone falling over as stacking it? Why did your uncle not fall from his bicycle but rather had a stack? On a recent trip around the Power House Museum online collection I saw a record for the 'Stackhat' protective sports helmet circa 1982. This made me remember two things about my youth.
1. I recalled a time when I enjoyed riding my 1980's BMX to the shops with a bright yellow bit of expanded polystyrene on my head.
2. It was about then that I told my mum I'd stacked it trying to ride off a cliff and that was why my bike now came in two pieces.
But could the two be related (stacking and stackhats that is... not the cause and effect of stupidity and gravity)? According to Wikipedia and more importantly the Power House Museum it is. Even the extremely dubious urban dictionary agrees.
I wonder if Rosebank ever thought that their humble brick of safety would become a 1980 and 90's verb for accidents? The pre-fail days? But, this is Australia where we will shorten any word or just stick an 'o' on the end to make it our own. It is part of the reason I love this country.
Maybe it's time for a 1980's exhibition? I'm pretty sure my broken BMX is under my parent's place.
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