13 Australian Phrases from a foreigner’s point of view

Aussie Oi, Oi, Oi!

 

This is my situation: I came to Australia to continue my tertiary education. (It’s hell by the way, thanks for asking). I’ve been taught how to speak “Aussie” by my closest Aussie friends. Also, the fact that I’m dating one means I hear it on a daily basis. So here’s me imparting my education for the greater good of the world. *cough*

 

Note: I write my entries on Windows Live Writer. The numbers appear as 1,2,3 and so on in my Writer but for some reason appear as 1,1,1 in this entry. However, the last one is correctly numbered 13. I don’t know what happened there but I’m too tired today to fix it. I need my bed…

1. Fair dinkum!

Honest! Really!

 

1. Bullbag

Someone who’s being loud, extremely exuberant to the (almost) point of being irritating. Sometimes someone who’s a Joker. It’s not a bad thing to call someone bullbag good naturedly and to their face but when someone says “John Doe is a bullbag” behind John Doe’s back, it usually means John Doe is irritatingly loud.

1. Bogan

Redneck. One of the most offensive thing you can call a person. Call someone a bogan and war will erupt.

 

1. Pom

English people. They are a lot of stereotypes concerning this one. Radio DJs usually like to poke fun at Poms. Fortunately, Poms take it in good nature. You just can’t stay angry at Aussies for long, most of the things they do are really in good nature and just for a laugh. They didn’t get their “world most laid back people” title for nothing!

 

1. Arvo

A short form of the word afternoon. “I’m working this arvo.” Means “I’m working this afternoon.” My favourite short form! Arvo, arvo, arvo, arvo. I try to use it as much as possible cos I like the sound. So much so that I usually scheduled everything for the arvos. Or make things happen in the arvo so that I can talk about it and drop the word “arvo” in the middle of a yarn. Yes, I’m not so stable in the head. Arvo.

 

1. Cheers

I don’t really know how to describe this. It’s just used everywhere you feel appropriate. As a replacement for “Thank you”, “goodbye” and as a replacement for “regards” or “yours sincerely” in letters and e-mail. It’s just that convenient.

 

A: Here’s your change.

B: Cheers!

 

A: See you tomorrow.

B: Right. Cheers!

 

A: I failed the finals.

B: Really? Cheers!

(No, seriously. Don’t say that in this case.)

 

Hey all,

 

I expect our assignment to be done on the dot tomorrow arvo. No questions, no protest, no excuses, NOTHING. Bail and I take your name out of the list, bullbags. You don’t want that to happen, mate.

 

Cheers,

-The Mad Penguin-

 

1. Mate

Replacement for “man”.

 

How are you doing, man? = How are you doing, mate?

Thanks, man = Cheers, mate.

 

Also a friendly and affectionate way of addressing the other person. I have never heard females using this though, and never had it directed towards female. It does make sense cos having a female going ‘mate’ isn’t really feminine. I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me, mate.

 

1. No worries!

“It’s alright, no big deal.” “You’re welcome.”

 

A: Sorry about the other day…

B: Heeey, no worries mate!

 

A: Thanks for that.

B: No worries!

 

Another version of this is “no dramas!” Usually that’s when you want to tell the other person that you didn’t go through so much trouble for them.

 

A: Thanks for driving us all the way to the City.

B: No dramas!

 

Oh, by the way, about the word “City”. It seems that even to Gold Coasters, City means the city of Brisbane. I used to think that City refers to any places’ CBD. So when Hero one day told me we’re driving down to the City to watch his friend’s band perform, I thought we were heading down to Gold Coast CBD, wherever that is (Surfers Paradise, maybe. Forgive me my ignorance but I am a Brisbane-ite by geographical obligations). Then it turns out we were heading to Brisbane…from where I endured an hour train ride to go to Gold Coast, just to come down to the City again barely an hour later. Fair dinkum!

 

1. Tradey

Tradesmen. The blue collar workers who usually manages to earn more in a day than a lawyer or a banker does. I think Australia is the only place where their tradesmen are held in high esteem. This people have HUGE purchasing power. Three Gold Coast millionaires are under 30 years old and started their fortune as tradesmen. Makes you wonder sometimes why on earth you’re paying 16grands every year to go to University, for 3 years just to get a job that earns less than a blue collar worker.

 

1. Hey? / Haay?

Huh? What? It’s way more polite than “Huh?” and “What?” and less pompous then “I beg your pardon?” or “I’m sorry?” Unless you’re a real Pom, of course. 

 

1. Pretty ordinary

When someone ask you how you are and you answer this way, this actually means you’re feeling terrible or having a terrible day. Pretty ordinary is NOT pretty ordinary!

 

1. Barbie

Barbeque. During the summer Aussies will do anything to have a barbeque. Celebrating the birth of new mosquitoes, celebrating you successfully balancing three beer bottles on your head, mourning your dead fish…you get the idea. Whatever excuse to have a barbeque will do. The chronic ones does not need an excuse at all. They just wake up one Sunday morning, decide to have a barbie and calls up everyone.  This is where the men do the cooking for once and the ladies just sit around, making salad and gossip to high heavens. Oh, and Christmas are spent barbecuing too since it falls on summer here.

 

Last week when the spring weather was so beautiful, a group of us skipped last lecture, bought some hotdogs and soft drinks (“fake” hotdogs for me since I don’t eat meat, to the amusement of everyone). We walked all the way to Southbank where they have public bbq pits. The original idea was to read our “lecture notes and textbook in the open space, under the sun and have an intellectual discourse on said material.”. Yeah, right! Intellectual discourse my intellectual bum. What are the chances of anyone doing that? But we went along with the excuse anyway, needing to justify us blowing $50 per lecture fee we paid in the beginning of the semester. Lying under the sun and eating hotdogs beats sitting in lecture hall, anytime. I think I fell asleep for a good 1 1/2 hours. In my defence, I needed sleep. I was surprised I could fall asleep because I am on No-Doz practically every lecture day. Aaaaaah, I love spring way too much!

 

 

13.   Yarn

Conversation. “Oh, was just having a yarn with them blokes from work.” Means having conversations with…well, people from work.

 

 

So there you go! Now that I have enriched your life with all the slangs you possibly will never need, you can now go forth and conquer or multiply or whatever rocks your socks in peace.

 

Happy TT! (Why can I feel so naughty wishing people this harmless greetings? TT! TT! TT!)

 

 

They played, they came, they saw, they comment. Woot!

 

-Buck Naked Politics and Damozel - Jeremy –  Double Decker Buses - Jen – Scribbit – maiylah – Jeanne – liv – Antoinette – Nicholas – Jennifer –