Learning Aussie lingo

Updated 07 March 2013

For starters, there are a couple general rules when attempting to understand the local Australian. 

1. They don’t really pronounce ‘r’ sounds. 

2. They often over pronounce the ‘h’ sound. 

3. There’s something weird [as in neither Ruthie nor I are capable of reproducing it] about how they pronounce their ‘long o’ sounds.

4. They tend to shorten everything. 

4b. After shortening something, they tend to add an ‘o’ or ‘ie’ / ‘y’ sound to the end – even if that means the word is as long as or longer than the original. 

With that said, here’s a list of local diction I’ve had to learn to understand.  Ruthie and I have tried not to pick up too many of their speech patterns, but it’s happening slowly.  Ruthie tries her best to speak like an American claiming their pronunciations are stupid.  I try not to shove that in their faces so much, so maybe it’s no surprise that a couple words have slipped into my vocab.

ambo = ambulance or ambulance driver

arse = ass

arvo = afternoon

barbie = barbeque

bikie = motorcycle rider
bloke = dude [while sheila is the female counter term, I’ve not actually heard it used]

bogan = redneck mixed with a little bit of white trash

brekky = breakfast
chocka/chockers/chockablock = full, with emphasis on the extremely full side – chockablock full, while redundant would imply it’s going to explode

crack the shits[or crack it, if you prefer the less profane option] = get angry/have a tantrum, as in if you “crack it at Joe” you’re likely telling them off, or if simply “crack the shits” you’re throwing a hissy fit

degustation = while a real word, I’d never heard it until coming here

devo = devastated

feral = again, a legitimate word, but used more to describe someone who’s a bit crazy, and more commonly used to describe children who aren’t being angels.  Ruthie and I are particularly fond of this adjective for ankle biters. 

dickhead = idiot

from = at or starting, but only in the sense of “I’ll be back at my desk from 9a” or, “the show starts at 6p” would be shortened to “on from 6p”

look = a very common phrase starter – most recently I heard an interview where the person started every sentence with “Look” instead of things like “Um” or “Uh” or “Well” or  “Y’know” – but I’ve found it often has just a slightly less offensive implication than “Hey! What I’m about to say is important”

ordinary = instead of being used to describe “normal” there is a negative connotation; for example: in used to describe a day that was chilly, rainy, and not all that pleasant “The weather’s a bit ordinary today, isn’t it?”

lollies = generic term for candy, as opposed to multiple lollipops

Maccas = McDonald’s restaurant

mate = dude [or dudette, but primarily dude]

Pom/pommy = prisoner of her majesty, Brits living here

ranga = red head

rego = vehicle registration

rock up = to arrive, to show up

root = intercourse, along the lines of the slang meaning of “screw”

sandbo = sandwich

serve, a = used as a noun, piece of your mind, as in “He got on my last nerve, so I gave him a serve”

squiz = look at, as in “Let me have a squiz at my calendar.”

suss = suspect, as in “That’s a bit suss” = “That seems a bit suspect”

thongs = flip flops

totes = totally

trackies = literally track suit, but to Americans, it would be more of sweats – or anything with an elastic waistband

trackie dacks = track/sweat pants

tradie = tradesman or construction worker

unco = uncoordinated

whinge = complain, whine

_____ as = [i.e. “sweet as” “hot as”] basically, it’s the shortening of likening something to something else [“today is as hot as standing in a fire”]. 

So while I might’ve managed to pick up a term or two, Ruthie’s informed me that the most noticeable difference is my speech pattern’s changed a bit.  The locals have a tendency to end their sentences with a slight upswing in tone, and apparently that’s what I’ve adopted lately. 

It’s probably worth it to note, that at this point, the one word I haven’t been able to actually pick up is “mate”.  It just sounds so weird coming out of my mouth that even I don’t like it.  Conversely, “dickhead” is my current favourite slur.

-EP

Update 13 Jan 13:

So we were gifted with an Aussie lingo dictionary for Christmas.  Which is great!  Upon reading a few entries, we learned that even some of the Aussies that gave us the book hadn’t heard these terms.  So I’m guessing some are really quite obscure.  I might pick a few to post up at some point, but for now, we’re enjoying the fact that we’ve got some reference material when necessary.