So I thought for a little light-hearted fun today - How to speak Australian - abbreviate everything.
A couple of years ago I shared this brilliant YouTube video on my blog - How Australian Are You? from Josh Hawkins and Rhys Keir. You can see it here How to Speak Australian
Australia - Straya
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| Breckie |
Football - footy
Biscuit - bicky
Chocolate - choccy
Chocolate biscuit - choccy bicky
McDonalds - maccas
ACDC - Acadaca
Devastated - dvo
Definitely - defo!
Aggressive - agro
Afternoon - arvo
This afternoon - s'arvo
Breakfast - breckie
Tomorrow - tomorra
Garbage man - garbo
Postman - postie
Taxi driver - cabbie
Musician - muso
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| Sunnies |
Bottle shop - bottle-o
Registration - rego
Pregnant - preggas
Swimming costume - cozzie
Mosquito - mozzie
Tracksuit - trackie
Tracksuit pants - trackie dacks
Underpants - undies
Sweater - jumper
Running shoes - joggers
Monday - Mundee; Tuesday - Tuesdee; and so on....
Birthday - birthdee
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| Chook |
Lipstick - lippy
Sunglasses - sunnies
Eraser - rubber
Elevator - lift
Present - prezzie
Christmas - Chrissy
Christmas present - Chrissy prezzie
St Vincent de Paul - Vinnies
Salvation Army - Salvos
Smoke break (or morning tea break) - smoko
Cup of tea - cuppa
Avocado - avo
Have an avocado - havanavo
Spaghetti bolognaise - spag-bog or spag-bol
Potato - spud
Chewing gum - chewy
Sandwich - sammo
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| What could be more Australian - making Anzac bickies |
BBQ - barbie
Sausage - snag
Chicken - chook
Ketchup - tomato sauce
French fries - chips
Mentholated spirits - metho
Turpentine - turps
Fellow - fella or bloke
Husband - hubbie
Give me - gimmie
Trying to - tryna
Going to - gunna
Thank you - thanks
Cigarette - ciggie
Tin can of beer - tinnie
Ambulance - ambo
Fireman - firey
Policeman - cop or coppa
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| Tasmania, that island at the bottom of Australia |
Tradesman - tradie
Rubbish man - garbo
Toilet - dunny
Umbrella - brolly
Sick day from work - sickie
Kangaroo - roo
Champagne - champers
Cabernet Sauvignon - cab-sav
Bundaberg Rum - Bundie
Relatives - relos
Expensive - exxy
Brisbane - Brizzy
Tasmania - Tassie
Derelict - dero
Kindergarten - kindy
Big city - big smoke
Cockatoo - cockie
Television - tellie
How are you? - how-ya-goin?
See you later - see-ya
It will be ok - she'll be right
good job - good-on-ya
Put another sausage on the BBQ - chuck another snag on the barbie
There's lots more I am sure. Do you Aussies have some more you can add to the list?
Of course we change names too - like - Tom - Thommo, Shane - Shaneo
And if you are not confused already - there are also differences between America and Australian words - as demonstrated by Christi (an American) and Mark Brown (an Australian) - Australian versus American words - on YouTube
And a few of our unique Aussie animals - clockwise from top left - Thorny Devil, Koala, Numbat, Dingo, Quokka, Echidna, Bilby, Kangaroo, and in the centre the Emu
Whatever you are doing today in Australia or overseas, enjoy your day without forgetting those who came before us, the wrongs of the past, the sacrifices, the mateship, the great moments in our history and the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are all part of what makes us truly Australian.
Just found this about 1950s Australia.....
Someone suggested yesterday that today should be renamed Rum Rebellion Day.
So I investigated to learn more....
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| Governor William Bligh |
known as the Rum Rebellion, on 26 January 1808, the soldiers of the New South Wales Corps marched with fixed bayonets through the streets of Sydney under the command of Major George Johnston to Government House where they arrested Governor William Bligh. from : Australian National Maritime Museum
Captain William Bligh was the fourth and last naval officer to be appointed Governor of the New South Wales penal colony....When Bligh arrived the colony was in a poor state. Floods, the lack of supply ships and a reduction in convict labour had severely diminished the self-sufficiency of the colony .....as part of Bligh's reforms, Bligh ordered the destruction of illicit stills and prohibited the bartering of spirits for grain, labour, food or any other goods, especially rum, these orders aroused immediate and heated revolt. From My Place for Teachers
Interesting! Rum Rebellion Day!
For those wondering about the latest bushfire news from Australia - here is the latest news - 9 News-bushfire updates. Bushfires are still raging, and more bodies are being recovered from burnt out properties.
My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, and to the families of the American firefighters who lost their lives in an aircraft crash this past week. They were part of a huge outpouring of help that has come to Australia from all over the world. That they lost their lives helping us is tragic.
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| Regeneration after the bushfires |
Celebrating Australia Day and Waltzing Matilda
How Australian Are You?
Australia Day - Cooee!
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you are Australian, what are you doing today to celebrate Australia Day? Perhaps you would like to tell us in your comments.
I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
My corner of the world through my camera
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.
Happy Australian Day! Wow after reading your list of Aussie terms I am floored. Another whole language to learn! I wouldn't understand the words if I heard them but it sounds charming. BTW I love Australia's unique animals.
ReplyDeletewe certainly have our own slant on the English language.
DeleteYour list of Aussie abreviations was so fun to read! I have to watch the video links too... These days I'm watching the Australian open - I wish success for Nick Kyrgios!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun read!
ReplyDeleteHappy Australia Day. My Australian friend refers to chicken as "chuck". I had no idea what she was talking about when she sent me a recipe. Your words about the fires are very moving. #AllSeasons
ReplyDelete"chuck" I have never heard of that one - maybe "chook"? I will need to add it to my list.
DeleteThanks for sharing the Aussie language! I think I use most of them at various times, they just seem to slip into our vocabulary without much thought. I like Magda doing the "Noice" ads, always get a laugh!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Australia Day! I loved your Aussie language guide. My husband and I visited Sydney about 9 years ago and everyone told us we had an accent, which we do as we lived most of our lives in Brooklyn, NY.
ReplyDeleteMy husband was told years ago when he started teacher training that he had a broad Australian accent. I know when we had an African visitor one weekend who came to stay with friends, I think half the time he couldn't understand us! :)
DeleteJill - a fun, fun post!! Happy Australia Day to you. You might be pleased to know that there were small Australian flags flying all over our ski resort on the weekend!! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday, my friend!
ReplyDeleteski resort! wish I was there. Very HOT today!
DeleteHey Jill, you were first today at All Seasons - a high 5 for that:) So true, the after effects of the fires may come up for a long time:( The list of Australian words made me laugh, most of the words ending on the letter o, I did not know, as well as most of the food words, but I could guess Breckie (because of your image:)) Encouraging to see the regeneration of plants!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for showing us what the Australia Day includes - so interesting and fun! Have a great week.
Hello, Happy Australia Day. I enjoyed the language translations and all the animals. My prayers for the victims of the fires. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!
ReplyDeleteDo I need to be Australian to say, How ya goin'? I would like to start saying that to those I meet when I hike! heehee! Love this post. A lot has changed here in the US since the '50s when I grew up too! Happy Australia Day to you! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteas long as you run it all together like one word - howyagoin
DeleteI love Australia but have never been, it is on the top of my bucket list. Animals, sun, surf, rum...I'm all for it. Happy Australia Day and Rum Rebellion.
ReplyDeleteDawn aka Spatulas On Parade
Ha you made me realise how Aussie I'd become reading through this list. The ones that stood out for me all those years ago were Doona (duvet cover) Manchester (bedding dept) and chook (chicken)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link to the bushfire updates. My heart goes out to family and friends in Canberra who are having a continued terrible time. It will be a long night tonight judging by the photos on twitter at the moment.
Wren x
Happy Straya-dee! Love this post. The Aussie terms seem rather like spoken shorthand!
ReplyDeleteshortened and slurring caused by keeping the lips close together to keep out the flies! LOL
DeleteWhat a great bit of celebration! It's truly a distinctive way of talking. I still have to ask Hubby what things mean here in NZ!
ReplyDeleteThanks for making 'My Corner of the World' a success this week!
My Corner of the World