Thread: Aussie English *Warning may have harsh language. Mods do what you must.

just had to make the sheep joke didn't ya. you leave my girlfriend out of this, she's baaaaaeeutiful.

Awesome work with this thread Mick.{and everyone else who contributed}
Very relaxing and a morning of memories reading back through. Dad often spoke like this, and we also stopped at Golden Fleece servos when travelling the country and they had awesome menus that utlised the dinky di lingo.
Ta Mates,

ok here's a few keewee words for you guys, it's a shorter list because we don't talk as much as straaaliens, in fact some have more than one meaning, all in the way they are spoken,eg

mate - hello best friend
mate? - are you okay best friend?
MATE! - you idiot
MAAEET!!!! - you are a legend
dunno - i don't know the answer
dunno? - do you know the answer?
idunno? - (pronounced eyedunno?) signifies the end of a heated conversation, if you continue talking , you will get a crack.
crack - punch
bro - see mate above
cuz - short for cousin, but usually not used on true relative
buz - not quite a bro but better than a cuz
tonka - male baby
split ar$e - female baby
floss - skimpy bikini bottom, known as a thong in USA, dunno what Aussies call them
thong - has absolutely no meaning here and has never even been spoken that i know of, does not mean jandal.
jandal - preferred summer footwear before Aussie sent us crocs, now mainly used by women to discipline wayward children and drunken husbands.
crocs - the ugliest, most comfortable summer footwear known to have been invented that never wear out. Almost caused the extinction of the jandal. Invented in Australia.
rear gunner - a man that prefers men
dirt track rider - see rear gunner
knob end - annoying person
prick - male appendage, also really annoying person.
gutted rabbit - female private parts
dropping the kids off at the pool - a bowel movement
splash my boots - urinate eg. "i need to splash my boots"
moggie - a cat
rover - a dog
dingo - an Australian
sheep shagger - a term invented by Austrailans that refers to Kiwis, caused the great Tasman war of 1610, with the loss of 38 ewes, 300 rams, 18 whethers, and 6 poor innocent lambs, which, by the way, we won! (not many people know that).
bull$hit - a lie

and finally Godzone - which means New Zealand

Jatz Crackers
Reg Grundies
Chunda.......

The list goes on

My father used to use the expression: "Up here for thinking, down there for dancing" whenever someone did something either useful or stupid. Seemed to be an all purpose expression for intimating where certain people kept their brains, but I was never sure as a kid.

When we used to go out fencing on the farm and we had cut a stay into a straining post, invariably someone would always say "fits like a finger in a bum". Us Aussies can be a literal bunch...

James.

I have recently learned the Aussie term "stickybeak". Curious, nosey, wanna see.

What about local lingo down under? Are there things said in one region, which have different meanings in another?

Bruce

It's obvious to see the remnants of Cockney rhyming in the slang. Sorta enriches things a bit.

How about more expressions, ala Jimbo's "up here's for thinking..." "finger" etc.

One of my favorites from the US is "I'm busier than a cat in a feedlot (Texas)." Implying a futile never ending job and an instinctive urge to continue the work...

Or anxiety, "More nervous than a three tailed cat in a rocking chair factory."

Things like this are great places for the idiom to really sing.

Yeah. Texans use more words and say it slowly and quietly. Aussies are faster to say their thoughts, as are New Zealanders, Brits and the whole pile. You know....."he's a brick shy of a load" "ain't got walkin around sense!" "busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kikin contest" "Busier than a one-armed paper hanger!"
And of course, the ever-enduring "ain't got sense of a road-lizard" Seems a "nicun" runs the south over here!

Our slang is similar yet, I believe, more descriptive.

Busier than a one armed bricklayer in Bagdhad or a one legged bloke in an ar$e kicking contest.

Tighter than a fishes ar$eh0le

Others that come to mind are the ones that mean different things in different places ie.

Durex is sticky tape in Oz yet a condom in England.
XXXX is a brand of beer here and (once again) a condom in the US
Knocked up is to be tired after physical activity here and pregnant is the US

Any other donations to this list are greatfully received

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

It's obvious to see the remnants of Cockney rhyming in the slang. Sorta enriches things a bit.

How about more expressions, ala Jimbo's "up here's for thinking..." "finger" etc.

One of my favorites from the US is "I'm busier than a cat in a feedlot (Texas)." Implying a futile never ending job and an instinctive urge to continue the work...

Or anxiety, "More nervous than a three tailed cat in a rocking chair factory."

Things like this are great places for the idiom to really sing.

Is her name Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarbera?

Originally Posted by Grazor

just had to make the sheep joke didn't ya. you leave my girlfriend out of this, she's baaaaaeeutiful.