Bit of Aussie Humour with our Lingo

[NRM_Oz]

Ok blokes and sheila, I admit I often forget some of our slang and lingo can be daunting especially when we tend to speak naturally alot faster than many of our US allies but ironically the Canucks NEVER have an issue with understanding us - must be something about the Queen and all.

So after some humourous messages sent to me over the last few weeks on this forum and and some others I have decided to give you the opportunities to toss a few words my way for a translation. But before we go any further:

1. Fosters is disgusting, hence why it is perfect for cleaning your BBQ
2. Outback steakhouse is pure rubbish as I have dined in the USA and Australia and would prefer Hooters (thank you USA) with meatpies and beers on the menu.
3. Yes our whole country stops at 1500 on the 1st Tuesday in November over a 2 mile horserace as work parties and approved betting is allowed.
4. Our national anthem actually has 5 verses with most people struggling to do the first 1 (which is common in all sporting events).

This might help: http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

See ya round like a rissole,

Hoo Roo.

[Curtis Baillie]

You must of missed my post.

http://forums.securityinfowatch.com/showthread.php?t=4660

[HotelSecurity]

English Quebecers use lots of words that the R.O.C. (rest of Canada) does not use. We commonly call a file a dossier. An ATM machne a Guichet. There are many many many more! The French Québecois use English a lot. We both use Franglais. The "F" word is not really considered a swear word in French. You commonly hear it on the police radio as the Franglais F*cké.

[NRM_Oz]

I did see that post Curtis - thanks. Did you ever come in for R / R during your service time ?

I am aware that "Quebecans" do toss alot of their french in with general conversation which my brother when he was there years back for a few days found it harder to ask for things but the people were very polite to the Aussies. Even from our states - like a ROCKMELON is called a CANTELOPE MELON from 1 state to another.

Even my wife2b in her state will call a softdrink for us (soda pop in the USA) a COOL DRINK. It is a state thing for here which I thought was bloody dumb until I witness the advertising visiting her family. Often a softdrink is called a cold drink here but it is a place for many arguments too.

[CameraMan]

My wife grew up in Baltimore and Atlanta, and sometimes has a hard time understanding my accent (fourth generation New Yorker). For my part, I think it's cute as hell when she pronounces the word "and" with three syllables.

When we were engaged, I asked her how the bridal shower went, and it took 15 minutes of confused discussion until she understood the question.

[Mr. Chaple]

Even my wife2b in her state will call a softdrink for us (soda pop in the USA) a COOL DRINK. It is a state thing for here which I thought was bloody dumb until I witness the advertising visiting her family. Often a softdrink is called a cold drink here but it is a place for many arguments too.

The argument here in the states is whether to call it soda or pop (soda if you are southern pop if you are northern) instead of everyone just calling it by its full name. Then again I still get weird looks from the the people up here when I refer to my tennis shoes.

[Guest]

In Texas

The convo seems to go like this at most restaurants:

Server: What would y'all like to drink?

Me: Iced Tea
Other Person: Coke

Server: What kind?
OP: Dr. Pepper

[darkenna]

The argument here in the states is whether to call it soda or pop (soda if you are southern pop if you are northern) instead of everyone just calling it by its full name. Then again I still get weird looks from the the people up here when I refer to my tennis shoes.

You should try New England:

• To the old folks, soda is "tonic", but that's pretty much fallen out of use everywhere except in Maine. It's now soda to the rest of us... which seems to confuse the New Yorkers.
• A "bubbler" is referred to elsewhere as a "water fountain."
• There are a finite number of R's in Bostonian English; if you drop one from somewhere, you must add it in somewhere else. Hence why it is, "A good ideer for 'Mander to pahk the cah." ("A good idea for Amanda to park her car". Just don't do it on Hahvahd Yahd, it'll get towed.)
• The cities of Worcester, Haverhill, Gloucester, Peabody, and Marblehead are pronounced Woo-stah, Hay-vrill, Glah-stah, Pea-buddy, and Mahbl-Ed, usually said all in one syllable. (And that's just a sample; you should hear what's done to Taunton, Revere, Dorchester... and New York.)

And that's just a sampling...

The US has some of the most disparate dialects. Southern acts like a completely different language than Northeastern, and both have sub-dialects. And Valley-speak even has it's own sub-culture.

[Curtis Baillie]

In Europe if you ask for water you will get carbonated water. I ask for "water-no gas". That seems to get the point across.

[CameraMan]

The argument here in the states is whether to call it soda or pop (soda if you are southern pop if you are northern) instead of everyone just calling it by its full name. Then again I still get weird looks from the the people up here when I refer to my tennis shoes.

In New York, a carbonated, unflavored drink is 'soda'. Carbonated, unflavored water is 'seltzer'. The Mayor is refered to (in print only) as 'Hizzoner'. A common salutation is 'f*ck you'. When standing in single file waiting for something (called 'being in line' in the rest of the country and 'qeueing up' in Europe) you are 'on line'. A 'pocketbook' is a small purse. Those deadly, speeding yellow things are 'taxis', never 'cabs'. A small candy store or news stand is a 'bodega'. North is 'uptown', south is 'downtown', and downtown (as in, the place where most of the tourism happens) is 'midtown', which confuses the hell out of tourists who just want directions to Times Square.

Barely related anecdote: a common question from tourists to natives, especially cops, is: "How do I get to the Twin Towers?" The question is, of course, how to get to the memorial on the Twin Towers site. The answers, of course, range from "take the 2 train and get off about 7 years ago" to "ooh... bad news about that".

[HotelSecurity]

It can get really local. The borough of Verdun is in the southwest of Montreal. It has always been a working class area. English speaking Verdunites & English Montrealers from the district of Pointe St. Charles will call you an ars* if you act stupid. Others in other English speaking areas will call you an as*!! In Verdun the living room is the front room, no matter where it is located in the home. We have chesterfields not sofas.

[NRM_Oz]

Lounges only and louge rooms

Chesterfields are what I have in my office - leather old english style 3 seaters.

....... but I also heard there is a mix of english and US spelling as well ?

Reminds me of a friend who came from the USA for a training course and stopped for 3 days for a break so we went out site-seeing. He was called a SEPTIC a few times and I had to explain why he was called a SEPTIC or SEPPO for short.

[Mr. Chaple]

Lounges only and louge rooms

Chesterfields are what I have in my office - leather old english style 3 seaters.

....... but I also heard there is a mix of english and US spelling as well ?

Reminds me of a friend who came from the USA for a training course and stopped for 3 days for a break so we went out site-seeing. He was called a SEPTIC a few times and I had to explain why he was called a SEPTIC or SEPPO for short.

Why was he called a SEPTIC or SEPPO for short?

[ericjones80]

I never understood the New England thing....they take rs out of words that need em and put em into words that don't. "What would youah wife do if she sawr you at a bah"

[NRM_Oz]

It all has to do with Rhyming slang from 100 years back. In WWII the women went crazy of the LANY YANKS who came here dressed up in their uniforms, accents and of course their access to things restricted including chocolate and Stockings plus cigarettes. So from that point on the Yanks were hated because the women swooned over them as they were not the rough and ready blokes.

Of course rhyming with YANK was Septic Tank so it was cut to Septics or Seppo from there. Bit of a badge of honour you could say but nothing derogatory meant in the paraphrasing.