Strine

I have amazingly reached the point where someone’s accent is no longer the first thing I notice about them.  There are so many different accents here, as with any multicultural city, that I often need to do a double take when I hear a North American accent.  But the Aussies have certainly developed a language all their own (Strine) which oscillates between endearing and irritating to an outsider.  As I’ve said before, they have a habit of shortening words and adding ‘ie’ or another vowel to the end which to sounds juvenile to a more conservative Canadian ear.  Just over a year ago I read an article down here criticising Americans for ‘bastardizing the Queen’s English’.  All I can hope though is that my sons leave Australia still speaking real words and full sentences. 

I once heard that the Inuit have many different words for snow as it was such a part of their life.  Australians have also taken this approach to the bathing suit.  So, as it hits bathing suit weather in Canada, you might want to consider breaking out your:

Bathers: general bathing suit term

Boardies: surfing or board shorts

Cozzie: usually a ladies one piece bathing suit

Budgie smuggler: men’s speedo
Togs: bathing suit

You’d think discussions about food would be straight forward.  You should have seen the jaws drop last week when I told some of our dinner companions that we’d just come from a weenie and marshmallow roast with the Canadian Club.  By the way, it was great hanging out with fellow Canadians with lots of jeans, fleece tops, and hockey jerseys around a campfire eating s’mores  (They have to import marshmallows and graham crackers).  So here’s some more food terms I am having to learn and use.

Sausage sizzle: hot dog day

Icy poles: popsicles

Fairy Floss: Cotton Candy

Lollies: most candy except chocolate

Choc: chocolate (why they always say choc and not chocolate is beyond me)

Need work done on your house or by another blue collar professional?  Here we have:

Tradies: any trades person but specifically those in home renovation

Sparkie: Electrician

Brickie: brick layer (there are lots of them as all houses are made of brick)

Panel Beater: collision repair person

And another assortment of words borrowed from the Brits, shortened a-la-Australian or generally accepted expressions:

Arvo: afternoon

Bikkies: biscuits (cookies)

Mackers for Brekkie: McDonald’s (restaurant) for breakfast

For all my criticism of the Aussie language, there are a few words that are easy and fun to use. 

Whinging (whining): oh, quit your whinging!

Heaps (lots): We’re going to have heaps of fun shopping!

Money is not dollars and cents but rather notes and coins.  Kind of makes ‘adding your 2 cents’ to a conversation fall flat or result in blank stares.  For those of you with a business vocabulary, I have also recently found out that while Australians do have ‘elephants in the room’, they do not have ‘sacred cows’ or do ‘warm body hiring’ – well they do but they don’t use those words.

If you didn't catch the video clip in the link above, it's really priceless.  They are commenting on the impact of the gymnastics floor on the family jewels of the male gymnasts at the Syndey 2000 olympics - flat bag, tool bag, crazy date, hello boys...