Aussie-isms

[Grace Oz]

Ok, I'll start a thread too!

In an effort to help our non -Aussies understand our lingo, I'll start a thread on our slang words and / or words that are parculiar, common, here in Aust. So everybody, get onboard & add to the list...

MATE:

Yes, in Aust we REALLY DO use the word MATE.

The word MATE means; friend, pal, buddy. Some people call their spouse MATE, as in their BEST MATE.Or a BEST MATE can be someone you consider really special. It's common to hear; "G'day Mate", said as a greeting.I think the origin of the word stems from World War 1. I may be wrong here on that, but I believe I heard that somewhere. The "Diggers" used the word in reference to their; "MATE". Please anyone, correct me if this is inaccurate.

COBBER:

This is another AUSSIE-ISM. It also is used to describe a friend, pal, buddy. Not as frequently used as the word "MATE". But was VERY much an often used word back in the 40's & 50's. We also used to have lollies called COBBERS! LOL Anyone old enough to remember those?

Well.... I've started it.....

Cheers,

Grace :kiss

[talaxandra]

"Mate" can mean frind, but can also mean buddy/pal ie generic term (I was watching "The Force: Behind the Line", that WA police reality show, the other day, and the arresting officer kept saying things like "Just sit down, mate" and "I'm going to search the car now, alright mate?" which sounds weird if you think it only applies to genuine affectionate relationships.

I'm on nights and very tired, so more verbose than usual!

How about "dry as a

[nyapa, RN]

I'm on nights and very tired, so more verbose than usual!

How about "dry as a

"bone"? You ARE tired.

I thought of another...

"flat out like a lizard drinking' - lazy

[joannep]

"Cooee!" is a shout, traditionally used in the outback but can be done anywhere, in the city, in the bush, in the shopping mall. It is done to attract attention, find missing people or to let people know where you are.

It is a loud and shrill cry - a call of "cooee" can carry over considerable distance.

Most of us were brought up hearing our mothers shout "cooee" out the back door or anywhere really, which told us to she needed to see us.

My favourite saying is "within cooee"

which means not far from, within reach, close to achieving a goal.

[Grace Oz]

Ah... we could go all day, couldn't we? lol

[nyapa, RN]

Too true. When do we stop *evil grin*. Hey, we are giving away all our secrets! People may actually be able to understand our 'Strine if we are not careful!!!

[talaxandra]

"bone"? You ARE tired.

Ah, the dangers of allnurses at work - MET calls mean abandoning the site mid-post!

Take 2:

"Dry as a dead dingo's donger" - extremely thirsty

I always thought "flat out like a lizard drinking" meant really busy, at top speed. The joys of slang!

"Useful as tits on a bull" - a waste of space

"Bangs like a dunny [toilet] door in a storm" - enjoys sex, a lot

"Full as a goog [egg]" - replete

"Scarce as rocking horse [excrement]" - rare

"Up at a sparrows fart" - arose very early

"Beaten by the ugly stick while swinging from the ugly tree" - not very attractive

"He wouldn't work in an iron lung" - lazy

"Couldn't organise a **** up in a brewery/orgy in a brothel"" - useless

I checked out a couple of online sites - I hadn't realised before that how many Aussie expressions are scatological and otherwise broadly physical!

[nyapa, RN]

OMG, things we say!

Question though - I recognise all of these. How many do we use in real life; are we starting to lose them?

I know language is a living thing, but it is sad to see that we are losing our own colourful individualism...

[HelenofOz]

"Couldn't organise a **** up in a brewery/orgy in a brothel"" - useless

a polite variation on that would be

"Couldn't grow a choko vine round a country dunny" ie extremely incompetent, a choko vine (chayote or vegetable pear) grows extremely fast, and was usually grown on either wooden fences or over dunnies, and you ended up with far more of the flavourless buggers than you could ever cook in a lifetime. (choko's in white sauce anyone?)

Another word to add to the list, though not a slang term, is "fortnight" (used in the UK & Commonwealth countries) and means 2 weeks.

[talaxandra]

And then there are all the shortenings - smoko, billy-o, arvo, brekkie, footie, sickie...

[Grace Oz]

And then there are all the shortenings - smoko, billy-o, arvo, brekkie, footie, sickie...

Yeah, and don't forget .................. "quickie".

[Grace Oz]

omg, things we say!

question though - i recognise all of these. how many do we use in real life; are we starting to lose them?

i know language is a living thing, but it is sad to see that we are losing our own colourful individualism...

well, i use them all the time! as often as possible. i'm determined that our unique aussie language not be lost!

it really p's me off seeing the erosion of our wonderful language in favour of what is becoming, more and more, the americanisation of our way of speaking and even spelling.

i love america and my american mates, but this is australia!

take gaol for example. i've not seen gaol written this way in a long long time now. the media are spelling it the american way --- jail! :angryfire

heard the word "hood" used in an ad for a car the other day instead of "bonnet!" :angryfire

makes me sooooo annoyed and disgusted with the media and anyone

who dares to alter our uniqueness with words and language.

sadly, because we see less and less aussie or british, ( and we are more colsely related to and a product of britian and her language and traditions than any other country), shows on our tv in favour of predominately american shows, our young people are strongly influenced by what they see and hear on those shows.

also, the young, mistakenly, think it's "cool" to speak using the terminology they hear on those shows. not cool!

the irony of it all is; our american mates just love to hear us speak and they love our unique language!

even the brits are hooked on our exported tv soaps! god knows why, but they love "neigbours!"

i'm reading a book by di morrissey; "kimberley sun." i'm just loving it! the very australian-ness of it all! i've just completed her first in a series; "tears of the moon". absolutely loved that also. not only is the stories set in australia, she writes in true blue australian language.

no! not "blue" language! true blue!

yep, i love my sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, i love her far horizions, i love her jewel sea, but don't expect a language change from little old aussie me!

[AussieTina]

I so agree Grace.

My kids all ask for cookies now.

I just tell them that we don't have any cookies, but have biscuits if they want some......grrrr that is my pet hate :)