baboon rock, noun phrase

Rocky, non-arable land.
1936 Cambridge Hist. of Brit. Empire VIII. 815Grout’s probably too conservative estimate of 50 000 as the native population of the three reserves, Inanda, Umvoti and Umlazi, gave nevertheless a density of 55 persons per square mile, or 11½ acres of mixed arable land and ‘baboon rock’ per individual.
1941 C.W. De Kiewiet Hist. of S. Afr. 71Although Natal had its share of ‘baboon rock’ and barren soil, the proportion of good land was higher than in the Cape Colony.
1965 Informant, George, Eastern CapeNo wonder she can’t make a living growing potatoes: 90% of that farm is baboon rock.
1990 T. Wild Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)The scenery [in Israel]..has been very much like the Transvaal except for all the olive trees and stretches of baboon rock for 500 m — 1½ km at a time.
Rocky, non-arable land.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19361990