Showing posts with label Slang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slang. Show all posts

Saturday, 21 September 2019

Understanding Oz


I migrated to Australia with family both as an adventure and work. We spoke the same language but soon found out there were many nuances that soon made us doubt what we heard. I worked in an office and was not that much affected apart from the odd words like "Smoko, Brekky, Tucker and Uie" meaning Smoke, Breakfast, Food and Make a U-turn in the road.

These unique words invented by earlier migrants established themselves in peoples minds. Words like Swag for roll up bed used when travelling; Tucker has been accepted as meaning food although in the outback Bush Tucker would refer to eating insects berries or leaves because there's nought to eat before you reach town.

If you meet someone you haven't seen for some time you would say "I haven't seen you for Yonks" and he might reply "Let's have a Stubby" meaning have a beer at the pub together to chat.

Your wife in settling in may be invited to meet with the neighbors friends and told "Bring a plate". the last thing to do is is take half a dozen plates thinking your neighbor doesn't have enough. She means, bring a plate of food to share all around...friendly like!

Australians are patriotic, however giving an Aussie salute is merely to wave away the flies that buzz around you in the heat and your forehead is sweating. Regardless of the heat if you work in the country you will find all work stops when someone calls out "Smoko" and the Billy is put on when a kettle or or pot of water is boiled so everyone stops work and has a cup of tea. Most workers have their own mug but there's usually one spare if you're new.

At the end of the day you may well feel "Rooted" meaning tired so you go to the pub with your mates before you go home, to have a "Coldie" of beer or two but you don't sit down but hold up the bar in case you or it falls over.

Image found at https://www.google.com/search

Sunday, 30 December 2018

Fair dinkum


Fair dinkum this is a hot Christmas
Even Ma got crook having to cook
So puts on a face

Bought a box of beaut chockies for Ma
By crikey they melted in the ute
Just like Marble Bar

Kids dead set to have a skinny dip
The creek's water and fish have all gone
On a day like this

Water tank's low dunno how it will go
All the stock are bleating in vain
They're always a pain

So flat out like a lizard drinking
Fixed fence, fed stock and cleaned all their troughs
Hard yakka all done

Then who do I see but brother Bill
"G'day" he says "Been driving all night"
"Could I stay a day?

"Thought I'd have Chrissie in the bush
"Fixed it with Ma, we'll get legless again"
"No worries", I grinned

"Bit of work to do first, don't you see?
Best get that clobber off, lend a hand
You're back on the land!"

T'was best time we had since we lost Dad
Gave hard yakka a rest and Bill said
"How I love "Straya"

Australian slang expressions and meaning:

Beaut                                          Beautiful, Great
Bush                                           Distant countryside
Chrissie                                      Christmas
Clobber                                      Clothes
Crook                                          Annoyed, Sick
Dead Set                                    Intent, True
Dunno                                         Don't know
Fair dinkum                                The truth, The real thing
Flat out like a lizard drinking      Very fast, busy
G'day                                          Polite Hello      
Gorn                                           Vanished, gone
Legless                                       Happily Drunk
Ma                                              Wife (especially with kids)
Marble Bar                                  Hottest town in Australia
No worries                                  No problem, It's OK
Skinny Dip                                  Naked bathing
"Straya"                                      Australia, Home
Ute                                             Utillity, small car sized truck 
Hard Yakka                                Hard work

Image found at https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/485403666061082839/

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Mother tongue



It was fifty years ago
I left my place of birth
To furthest Australia I did go
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.