Stupid question from an American.

and then there are 2 Vancouvers . 1 in washington and the other across the border in Canada. Confused the heck out of me when I did a road trip last year.
"We're in Vancouver" Already? but we just left Portland???
 
Ya'll know Foster's beer has been teaching us how to speak Australian for a while now :iconwink:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpeaAvFK2JM"]"GPS" Foster's Beer (commercial) 2010 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3RYHKWXIwI"]Fosters beer locksmith commercial!! - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbrU0WVSBo"]Fosters - How to Speak Australian: Thirteen / Tony Baggott (Frieze Films) - YouTube[/ame]

:flame suit on:
(I know, I know. It's not authentic Aus beer, FWIW as an American beer snob I can't stand the stuff or Budweiser either)
 
Didnt like the first vid...dunno anyone here who speaks like that lol.

The 2nd vid is brilliant...typical of an Ozzies no-nonsense approach to problem solving :raspberry::rotfl:
 
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That 2nd vid sort of reminds me of how I sometimes fix things where I work :lol:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
It's simple- we don't like long words, anything more than two syllables and it's bound to get shortened.
So, Foz= Forester (1 instead of 3)
Arvo= Afternoon ( 2 instead of 3)
Stuffup = Horrible Mistake (2 instead of 5)
The boot = Employment terminated (2 instead of 7)
Sub (pronounced "Soob")= Subaru (1 instead of 3)
Sump Guard = Underbody protection (2 instead of 7)
Oz = Australia (1 instead of 4)
Sheila = Delightful young lady (2 instead of 6, although this is considered obsolete as Delightful Young Ladies are considered extinct)
Kiwi = New Zealander ( 2 instead of 4)

However, it can go the other way, because there are some subjects about which residents of Oz like to be very particular...
VB = Beer (2 instead of 1)
Fourex = Beer (2 instead of 1)
Cascade = Beer (2 instead of 1; this equality is disputed by some)
Toohey's = Beer (2 instead of 1)
Carlton = Beer (2 instead of 1)
Coopers = Beer (2 instead of 1)

And then there's rhyming slang, as in Trouble and strife = Wife

Then, combine shortening with rhyming slang and you get:

Seppo = Septic Tank = Yank = American. (No offence- if an Ozzie calls you this, it means he likes you, in the same way as he will call his best mate an "Old baastard" without casting any aspersions upon his parentage).

See? Simple, isn't it? You should have no problem working it all out from now on....:iconwink:

Coop
 
C00P said:
It's simple- we don't like long words, anything more than two syllables and it's bound to get shortened.
Click to expand...

Lol...very true :iconwink:

And then there's rhyming slang, as in Trouble and strife = Wife
Click to expand...
Frog & toad = road

We also dont like to fully pronounce words. "and" is pronounced "en" so this is said "frogen toad"

Rubbadub = pub (public bar)...sorry, 3 syllables haha :raz:

All clear as mud? :rotfl:
 
stilson said:
Yes and yes.

Edit: no and almost. You're thinking of Victorians.
Click to expand...

Yep, Vic girls really are awesome! Gotta admit WA has its fair share :biggrin: Unfortunately the Gold Coast has become very plastic :( (just my opinion, hope I dont offend any Qlders...)
 
Let's see how many of these are repeats of ones already mentioned earlier in the thread. (It is always a mistake to reply to the OP at the end of a 4 page thread without reading the earlier replies. Oh well, some people never learn. And I'm one of them.)


  • Fozzy = Subaru Forester
  • Forry = Fozzy
  • Brumby = wild horse. You call them "mustangs". The difference is that horses were native to North America but died out and were then reintroduced, where horses have never been native to Australia and the substantial feral populations do a great deal of damage.
  • Hatchie - a small axe.
  • Sump = the bit that is left over after you cut down a twee. Try not to hit a sump on your engine when you drive off-road, it is bad for it. It is not very good for the engine either.
  • SF/SG = what teenage kids do when they go to the movies. Better not to ask.
  • Tannin = a horrible liar.
 
Tannin said:
  • Brumby = wild horse. You call them "mustangs". The difference is that horses were native to North America but died out and were then reintroduced, where horses have never been native to Australia and the substantial feral populations do a great deal of damage.
Click to expand...

Legend has it that they were named after a fella called Mr Brumby after his herd got out, I don't think they got them all back if any, hence the name brumby stuck - typical Aussie style :rolleyessarcastic:

Tannin said:
  • Hatchie - a small axe.
Click to expand...

Or a two door MY - something we didn't get in Oz from factory imports, grey imports it is for this little (awesome) beast!

Tannin said:
  • Sump = the bit that is left over after you cut down a twee. Try not to hit a sump on your engine when you drive off-road, it is bad for it. It is not very good for the engine either.
Click to expand...

Or you mean STUMP?

As mentioned, sump = oil pan to you guys.

Tannin said:
  • Tannin = a horrible liar.
Click to expand...

Or a true Aussie - not telling it straight yet still telling the truth ;)

Some other good ones:

Going off like a frog in a sock (That's Ruby Scoo offroad!) - a good thing in general, really depend on context as it can also mean being angry.
Mad as a cut snake - angry
Going off like a bucket of prawns in the midday sun - I'm sure you can figure this one out.
Fair dinkum or fairdink'm - genuine/for real ;)

I'll leave it off here ;) For those game enough, there's always this to keep you going. You've been warned though!

Cheers

Bennie
 
As dry as a dead dingo's donger (is a favorite of mine)
 
^^It's one of mine too.
I often use that phrase at work & virtually everyone just gives me the really! look :p

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
well Kevin, Turbo & Nachaluva, I thought that was a Mexican saying (south of the border). My better half uses that all the time, together with... (forgive me...) dry as a nun's nasty....
 
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