Riekie Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Ajay's post in the Voyer prompted me to start this thread: The Aussies speak English, but let me tell you, I wonder........ they have an abbreviation for almost any word you can think off or they'd simply create their own. As Ajay has mentioned, a duvet is not an Aussie word - they call it a doona! And there's many more (maybe you all can add to the list and share your embarrassing moments..... hie-hie)! Just a few ones I can think of now:Esky = Cooler BoxBrekkie = BreakfastValance = Nightfrill (MY most embarrassing moment - try asking the stiff-lipped shop assistant at Myer for a nightfrill!!!) Textas = Coki PensBarbie/BBQ = Braai/BraaierArvo = Afternoon (As in: "see you this arvo.....")Jumper = Sweatshirt/Jersey/Tracksuit Top/Long-sleeve T)Runners = TêkkiesUTE = Bakkie (Pronounced: yout)Lollies = SweetsSweets = DessertThere's heaps more!.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy-Lee Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Not to mention...Chook......chickenand one of my favourites...bumnuts....eggs Lindy-Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Hier is woorde wat dieselfde is as Afrikaanse woorde ook!doublegees = duwweltjies (sulke lelike groot dorings wat aan ALLES vassit)rekkies (uitgespreek lekkies) = rekkiesdurer = duurder (hulle sal sê: "this item is durer than that one")Wat van Tea = AandeteCrooked = SiekBiccie = KoekieEn kyk, die "lollie"-ding kan ek net nie aanvaar nie. Swiets is swiets en lollies is suigstokkies! Kon iemand nie die arme mense reggehelp het nie? Nou moet ons maar saampraat en inpas.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy-Lee Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Tea = Aandete We were invited for supper at friends a week or so ago...my friend asked my youngest (nearly 4) if she was hungry and wanted tea.....her reply..."NO, I don't drink tea!!! " Lindy-Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riekie Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 bumnuts....eggs Lindy-Lee Haven't heard THAT one before - it's hysterical!!! Can't stop laughing now!! En kyk, die "lollie"-ding kan ek net nie aanvaar nie. Swiets is swiets en lollies is suigstokkies! Kon iemand nie die arme mense reggehelp het nie? Ag siestog, mens moet hulle seker maar jammer kry né..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 Hi,Karen, from Toronto, Canada, here.I have to tell you that I find the Aussie accent fascinating and it is so quaint the way they feel the need to shorten so many words! I have family living in Sydney, and when we visited last year, I would sit spellbound on the trains and buses listening to the locals chatting away. For the most part, they are very easy to understand, although once someone left a message on my sister's answering machine and not one of us could get more than a few words of it!Also, it was very interesting to hear how many ex SA's were trying really hard to sound Australian. I always find it amusing to hear adults trying to remember how to use an accent they are not really at home with! I feel they should leave that up to the kids and just be proudly who they are.My son was nine when we arrived in Canada. He is now 22 and to this day, is able to speak with a perfect SA accent at home. He is able to change it with friends and revert back, as if he has flipped a switch. My daughter, who was seven when we came, is pure Canadian and not able to emulate our accent too well.I teach in the public school system here, to be honest, I have found my SA accent to be an absolute asset with the kids and my colleagues. Thirteen years on, I have no intention of changing it - this is who I am, and the beauty of Canada, is that you can remain who you are and still be accepted into the great Canadian family, because here, we are all immigrants, anyway - eh!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 My favourite - T over A - that is said that he fell T over A over a rock. T over A means Tit Over Arse. And then there are those that you would use - doona (duvet), missus Wife), schooner (beer) , fair dinkum (honest) , rego (registration), 'er inside (wife), sandshoes (tekkies), squiz (look). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riekie Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 ......en dan moet ons ook nie van die immer gewilde "THONGS" vergeet nie.....!! (Vir die wat nog nie weet nie, dit is plakkies!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 That 'missus' word is enough to make my Canadian PCness stand on end!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 (edited) My children at last enlightened me yesterday as to what a "Hills Hoist" is - we live in the Adelaide hills and therefore I always thought it was something associated with hills life - some big, burly bit of equipment used in logging perhaps? No, they almost laughed their heads off ... it's a windydrier (daai ronde wasgoedlyne wat rond "spin") My grootste fout was toe ek vra vir die "shop assistant" vir "suspenders" (menende broekrekke of kruisbande) - sy het omtrent gelag maar het dadelik besef ek bedoel seker "braces", want ek was in die mansafdeling! And I've learnt NEVER to say I've been rooting around for something ... Edited June 15, 2006 by Annette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Ah, the old root!! I forgot about that one So, for the un-inducted here, the word 'root' has a massively different connotation here than elsewhere in the world. Without being too indelicate, suffice it to say that to "feel rooted" has nothing to do with feeling that you have settled down and are establishing yourself The pronunciation here for the word route, by the way, is the same as the USA one - phoenetically "rowt". Maybe it is better explained this way - the only person you would ever be "rooting" for would be your business manager if you were employed in the 'oldest profession in the world' My fave story on this? My husband, bless his soul, after a couple of weeks in his new job and spending up to 90 minutes each way in traffic, was given a new route by the lady at the office, Tanya, that would take ages off his travel time. So, upon arriving at work the following day on time, instead of his normal half hour late, and being congratulated by his colleagues for his new-found timeliness, announced in a loud and proud voice "Yes, it was great, Tanya gave me a fantastic root this morning and it made all the difference"! Needless to say, Tanya nearly decked him for bringing her good-girl reputation into question - and his colleagues never let him (or her, poor dear) forget it LoveAjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jules Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 ROTFL Ajay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Howzit,Hehehehe, man those are really good !!First thing that comes to mind is :You'd be bonkers not to go via Honkers. (Hong Kong)As flash as a rat with a gold tooth - When someone considers themself fancyFartarsing around - wasting time/ hanging around doing nothingIdiot Box - TVStormstick - UmbrellaThunderbox - ToiletRap-rod - TelephoneWonky - UnstableShark Biscuits - Novice surfers (Too funny !!)Curly - Nickname for a bald person Stinker - very hot dayYakka - hard, strenuous workYonks - long timeAnd I know you are going to find it very strange, but I also know a couple of Australian expressions for talking too much/ incessant talking :YappingYackingVerbal diarrhoeaChew someone's ear offFlap the gumsTalk someone blindEar bashing... LoveSlang Sister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pisces Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Absolutely brilliant Ajay, I actually had tears in my eyes from laughing too much.What about these as well:to pash - kisslush guy - gorgeous guywagging school - bunking schoolLovePisces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Just had to add my 2c worth......Newly arrived immigrants........fresh meat!Ajay, I wish I had been there to see hubbies face when he realised what everyone else was thinking.I have a niece who used to work in the Tax Office in Rissik Str Jhb. Each day they would take turns to get the lunches. On her day she took the orders, in Afrikaans of course, and then went to the cafe (Portuguese guy) duly translated the list verbally as she gave it to him. Well then she came to the order of 'hoenderboudjies" and for the life of her she could not remember what they were called in English, so she told him she wanted "chicken bums", luckily he was not fazed and she went back with her 'drumsticks". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Has anyone heard the sound clip: Australiana by Austen Tayshus? It is such a good example of their speech and accent, and by the way, it is hillarious! I tried to post it here, but it is too big, and I don't know how to edit it to get it shorter. We went to a curry night a few weeks ago, and there were so many different nationalities there. Canadians, Sri-Lankans, British, SA, and Aussie, of course. One of the Aussies made the remark, (very seriously) that "Australians are the only people in the world who don't have an accent" There was silence in the room for a moment, and then al the non-Ausies burst out laughing, and boy, was this ouk offended. He truly believed himself to be right! Another linguistical oddity - When they say a "couple" of weeks, or a "couple" of days or things, they actually mean TWO! Not like us, for who it means anything above one.... Strange isn't it? Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jules Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Hehe Dreamcatcher, I LOVE that Austen Tayshus clip. Mine is over 4mb so it's too big to post here. If anyone would like to hear it then just PM your msn address and I will add you and send it to you. Another funny (though very rude and full of coarse language, not for the faint hearted ) Aussie is Kevin Bloody Wilson. Some of his songs have had me in stitches Australians are the only people in the world who don't have an accentLOL, you're kidding !! I find that most Aussies are fairly easy to understand but there are some who have such a strong accent that I can barely make out what they are saying. A few of my favourites are:Banana Bender - resident of Queenslandcrook - feeling sickshonky - unreliable wobbly - to throw a wobbly means to throw a tantrum or behave irrationallyBewdie - great, fantastic etcand of course the ubiquitous No worries! LoveJulie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Noeks Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Oh I loved Ajay's story about her husband at the office and the new route he took - excellent! I'm still laughing. I didn't know this either and am prone to use the word "rooted" quite often. I shall never use it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 lush guy - gorgeous guy OR of course, my other personal favourite - spunk! Certainly made me sit up and take notice the first time I heard it said about someone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jules Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 spunk!LOL Annette, I KNOW, it still makes me cringe !!! Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sa2auz Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Hi theretraffic Light - robot (I once made the mistake of saying sorry I am late I got held up by the robotsAlso the Aussies invented the "budgie smuggler" more commonly known as the speedo.You don't tell on some one or tell tales you dub on them.Oh and if someone asks you to bring a costume its not a bathing suit or swimwear a costume is a fancy dress outfit and togs are what you would swim in.Oh and then snags are sausagesHave a good weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Also the Aussies invented the "budgie smuggler" more commonly known as the speedo.ROTFL !!!!!! *wipe tears with back of hand*That is the funniest thing ever !! I had just recovered from Ajay's rooting business, but now I am back in the uncontrollable giggles... A day before Ajay wrote her piece, I was talking to an American friend about the World Cup and he was asking who I am rooting for.. My answer, NOT JUST ONE TEAM !! I have been rooting for Holland for a long time, might just be where I picked up on this habit, hehehehe and I have recently added Korea to my favourites list.... Hehehehehehehe. ROTFL !!!!! It's just too funny, and now the budgie smuggler... I can't take any more. heheheheheheheheh. My cheeks are hurting....Thanks gals..LoveSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnone Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 this one is worth at least ZW$ 55 000 000-00 maybe more ...The woman at the bookshop in Harare wanted to advertise the launch of the latest Harry Potter book in The Herald. She calls up The Herald and says: "Can I speak to somebody about putting an advert in the paper about the new Harry Potter book."Reply: "Yes, I am Harry Potter." She says: "No, you don't understand. There is a new book on Harry Potter and I need to put an advert in the paper." Reply: "Yes, I am Harry Potter." "YOU ARE NOT HARRY POTTER!" Reply: "I am Harry Potter" The women gets angry and slams down the phone. She calls again - this time the same thing, the person calling himself Harry Potter.Finally, she calls her assistant and asks him to phone and speak to the person in Shona, which he does. A couple of minutes later her assistant is laughing on the phone - he gives the message and hangs up. What's so funny? The man from the Herald was saying: " I em a repota" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jules Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 LOL!! Barnone, I love it LoveJulie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted June 16, 2006 Report Share Posted June 16, 2006 Between the bumnuts, budgie smugglers, thongs and reportars, you have me in stitches! I just imagined a reportar, in thongs and budgie smuggler, enjoying some bumnuts for brekkie... Hie hie haa haa ROTFL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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