It was fifty
years ago
I left my place
of birth
To furthest Australia
It was best I
thought for
They spoke the
mother tongue
Up with which I
had been brought
O then what a
surprise
Hearing words, I
was not wise
Friends were now
in truth
“Cobbers” for
they were your mates
“Bloody oath” in
affirmation
or mild surprise
may be “strewth”
When I was very
busy
I’d be “flat out
like a lizard drinking”
So don’t get in a
“tizzie”
If that makes you
upset
Its not only
babies that drool
Who “spit the
dummy” in Oz
But anybody that
loses their cool
It is not always
patriotic to see
Someone to give
the “Aussie salute”
As they are
brushing the flies away
You’re more
likely to be “full”
When leaving a
pub than a café
So it is part of
my lingo now
So far from
“Pommy land”
Driving along I
might “Chuck a U-e”
When I’m going
the wrong way
Tell the missus
“to tart herself up”
She’ll smile,
you’re taking her out
So will say
“Ridgy didge” coz
She knows you’re
a “Bonza” bloke
Expressions that
may not be clear in the poem:
Full - drunk
Chuck a U-e – do
a quick U turn or backtrack
Ridgy Didge –
Genuine guy
Bonza - Brilliant
Image found at www.godavi.blogspot.com
Yes, the sixth line of the first verse is a dig at the rule of avoidance in (correct?) English of ending a sentence with a preposition.
I loved it!
ReplyDeleteThis is great!! Thanks for the peek into where you are from. A delight to read!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a bright and happy poem to show your mother tongue and your new one! There are so many English dialects. I love too how you worked the rhyme through some tricky inversions in that first stanza.
ReplyDeleteFifty years....you would make it into the true blue classification now .
ReplyDeleteOh grand indeed. I love the words that make a culture sing.
ReplyDeleteThis made me smile; and I am glad you provided an interpretive key. I would have been lost without it. I really like these regionalisms.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE all those Aussie expressions, so cool! I had to smile at telling the wife to "tart herself up". LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt's so amazing to see a language diversify and grow...English has the ability to adapt and accept which makes it a world language...the poem delightfully reflects that truth....
ReplyDeleteI love it! Language has always fascinated me. In the '80s I read a book called The Story of English, which introduced me to such novelties as Frisian and Gullah. Some people try to define what language is and isn't, but that works about as well as holding back the tide with a broom.
ReplyDeleteOften there are expressions, used only there.
ReplyDeleteI learnt a lot from Neighbours! But, yes how different even a shared language is...although i think we know what budgie smugglers are here now ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha yes the words are so different as we drift from each other.
ReplyDeleteBonza! I loved reading about these idioms and different words. It would take me along time to learn them I think.
ReplyDeleteLove the POV you explore!! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat fun. Aussie talk has penetrated my mother tongue, even though I've never been there - TV and the internet is merging languages in unexpected ways.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed that Aussie talk. When I first moved to New Zealand the lingo often stumped me. Loved your interpretation of the prompt - finally one with a multi lingual flavour!
ReplyDelete