Words & TermsFood and drink
sparrow's guts
Also: sparra's guts
Asparagus, especially tinned asparagus, in jocular or remembered Australian usage.
In a sentence
The children called the tinned asparagus sparrow's guts.
Where it came from
A comic descriptive expression, probably prompted by the thin, stringy appearance of asparagus. The exact coining is unknown. An Australian gardening publication used sparrow's guts for tinned asparagus in 2009; Australia Day's slang collection independently lists the form.
- First recorded
- 2009
- Initial era
- 2000–today
- Where used
- Australia-wide
- Use today
- Dated or remembered