Aussie-isms

World Australia

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  • Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

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OzNurse69

245 Posts

Mexicans - Victorians (if you are from New South Wales)

- New South Welshmen & Victorians (if you are from Queensland)

frannybee

267 Posts

Sandgroper, I've gone all homesick and teary-eyed now!

Tookie

469 Posts

Franny bee - know where you r at - friends of mine when l was away for the 3 and half years sent my gum leaves

Aime

13 Posts

Ha,ha,ha!! This post has had me in stiches. I have a friend in CA(California), and she can't get her head around "Bugger me", or "Bugger it". She truly doesn't believe we have "BUGGER" stickers on the back windows of our 'utes' (something akin to a pick-up truck). I told her I'd have to send her a sticker, but can't find one when I need it. Another one that gets my friend going is "Mossie"...meaning a mosquito, or a "Blowie" meaning a blowfly. Bludger is another one that springs to mind. It means someone who is not pulling their weight. I got dozens, but I'd better give someone else a "fair suck of the sauce bottle".:chuckle

Grace Oz

1,294 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

Well! I'll be buggered! WOT have I started here?! LOL... Strewth, the mozzies are biting me on the bum & the blowies are tuckin into the snags on the barbie! And, some bludger / mongrel just nicked off with me grog! Crikey mate, this thread is gettin as long as the Murrumbidgee river!!

Where's the sentimental bloke when you need him??!! LOL

Keep them coming cobbers!....

Cheers,

Grace

Tookie

469 Posts

Grace this has been a great thread

Ive just been gigling as l try and update myself with waht lve missed recently

Ill have to try and think of some -

Is 'blown out of the water' an ussism or amd world wide expression?

Tookie

Jessiedog, RN

117 Posts

Specializes in Paediatrics, Orthopeodics, ENT, General.
This is fun. I've always loved things Aussie and hope to visit someday. But Grace OZ is 'bugger me' really something people say? It must mean the same thing there as it does here........

If you come here and say it and people take it literally, you'll want to keep your back to the wall.:roll :chuckle :D

'bugger it' is generally reguarded as a cute way of expressing yourself here. It's swearing without really saying anything bad. In my clinic we often say stuff like "If they can't fill in the request properly, we can't do the test. Bugger 'em!" It's considered a more polite word to use than many others. We even have a series of very popular TV commercials, where the punch line is "Bugger!!" said by a cartoon dog. At one stage, the commercials were withdrawn as having questionable language. There was a public outcry about why people would get upset at such a common Australianism, and the ads came back on.

Grace Oz

1,294 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

my gooodness jessie! you must have gone deep into the archives to dig up this thread! lol

at one stage, the commercials were withdrawn as having questionable language. there was a public outcry about why people would get upset at such a common australianism, and the ads came back on.

and....rightly so!!!! if people don't like how we speak in australia, there's always a plane or boat leaving our glorious shores!!

nyapa, RN

995 Posts

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

:up:

LOL just read your post again. You must mean 'chook'

This term refers to a hen, but can be used as 'term of endearment'

OK so this post was written a while ago, but still!!!:yeah:

nyapa, RN

995 Posts

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
Toads- Queenslanders

Cockroaches- New South Welshmen

Apple munchers- Tasmanians

Sandgropers- West Aussies

Don't know what the others are

People from the NT - Territorians? (thats me)

Victorians sometimes get called 'Mexicans', because they are "south of the border"

Actually we Territorians are the worst. Anyone not living in the NT is a 'southerner' even if they live in North Qld

nyapa, RN

995 Posts

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

Uhm, I'm thinking of some more...

'Shout' - this does not mean we are yelling at you when we are in a bar, it means we will 'shout' or 'buy' you a drink! "Shout the bar" means buy everyone a drink

"Down the track", "out bush", means out of town.

"I'll give you a run for your money" I'll do something better than you can usually in the same time period, meaning you'll have to work harder.

"haven't got a brass razoo" - haven't got any money

"she's apples" - things are good

"Gammon" - not true, you're lying

"fibber" liar

"don't come the raw prawn with me" - don't tell me lies, don't try to con me

"Donga" an ATCO mobile hut used in mining camps for units, they usually are divided up into four. NO AUSSIES, I AM NOT SAYING THE OTHER MEANING...

"a piece of four - be - two" a piece of thick wood

'big mobs' - a lot. For example 'There were big mobs of people there" - there were lots of ppl there'. Or a variation "biggest mobs' - as in "I love you biggest mobs" I love you very much.

'heaps" - alot. For example "Thanks heaps" Thanks alot. Can be sarcastic in tone.

nyapa, RN

995 Posts

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

Trying to think of more.

"built like a brick s**thouse' - very very strong. This can refer to a person, or a thing. Means nothing can break it. And it is usually a form of praise! Now don't you dare say we do things backward here Down Under...

'thongs' - I understand these are called 'flip flops' in the States. I remember a post I made about how my thong broke and I got burnt while walking, and some people thought I was talking about underwear :lol2:

'crook' - feel sick

'bludger' - someone who 'bums' things off other ppl (I think that is what you use in the US)

'ripper!' - Great!

'dacks' - underwear, sometimes shorts or trousers, usually for men.

'I'm gonna deck ya' - I'm going to punch you and knock you out.

if something is 'dicky' it doesn't work properly. For example 'dicky knee', for all you "Hey Hey its Saturday" fans...now I'm showing my age.

BTW is "agro" one? As in aggressive? As in Agro on HHIS? Or is that a world wide one.

if something is 'had it' then it won't work at all and needs replacing

'siggy' - cigarette

'"on the blink" - not working, but usually this is a temporary thing, and can be fixed. But it is very frustrating

"throne", "thunderbox" - toilet

"idiot box" - television

"ute" - pickup truck

'sanga' - sandwich

'snag' - sausage

'bubble and squeak' - is that one purely Aussie? It means leftovers such as ham cooked up in an omelette type meal usually for breakfast.

I think some of ours may have originated from England. Such as

"Hit the frog and toad" - hit the road, go away

"trouble and strife" - wife

Well, the well is starting to dry up...any more people? There was one other word I put it, and it didn't want to print, so maybe the page thought it was too offensive. It is a common enough term, a bit like 'bugger'. I guess that is the problem with differences between cultural understanding of words between different English speaking countries - what can be very offensive in one country is normal language for another, and vice versa...

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