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.
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