What makes Australians different?

I was wandering about on the internet today (yes, I was working - very hard!) and I came across the Australian Immigration website that lists "typical Australia slang": thought I would share them with you.
  • bring a plate: when you are invited to a party and asked to 'bring a plate', this means to bring a dish of food to share with your host and other guests
  • BYO: when an invitation to a party says 'BYO', this means 'bring your own' drink
  • arvo: this is short for afternoon. 'Drop by this arvo,' means please come and visit this afternoon
  • barbie: outdoor cooking, usually of meat over a grill or hotplate using gas or coals
  • snag: sausages 
  • chook: chicken/hen
  • cuppa: a cup of tea or coffee
  • loo or dunny: toilet
  • to be crook: to be sick or ill
  • shout: to buy someone a drink
  • bloke: a man
  • how ya goin ?: 'How are you going?' means how are you, or how do you do? It does not mean what form of transport are you taking. Sometimes it can sound like 'ow-ya-goin-mate'
  • billabong: a waterhole
  • bludger: lazy person
  • chinwag: a chat, conversation
  • dinkum: true blue, real, genuine
  • ocker: true Australian workingman; boorish, uncouth
  • walkabout: a period of wandering, usually in reference to Aborigines
  • You right mate: are you OK?
  • yobbo: loutish, surly youth
  • strewth: statement of exclamation
  • bush telegraph: the local gossip network
  • blowy: blow fly
PS I don't use most of the words on this list!!

Comments

  1. Funny! Isn't it odd how so many of us (Aussies, Brits, Americans, etc.) speak the same language, but at the same time, we don't speak each others language?

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  2. We have friends from New Zealand and I love to listen to them talk.

    Thank you for the translations! LOL!
    Hugs
    Kim

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  3. I love that! Thanks for sharing.

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  4. ah yes, the good ol' Aussie slang, mate. lol...

    Aren't we a unique bunch ;)

    I can't imagine the Indian, Chinese, (or whichever) community speaking typical Ozzie-ese, but at least they would understand a little more about our language, by reading the list.

    Thanks for posting this..

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  5. Maybe I should post a list like this on my blog - I do use some of these terms!! it's funny how you can use terms so much they are just perfectly normal to you, but say them to someone from another land and they look at you like you've lost your senses!! Sometimes I still say new things that Dan hasn't heard after 3 years of knowing me and I have to explain the meaning to him... Some of them Aussie-isms, and some of the Blair/Bristow-isms!!

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