When I send an email to my non-Australian friends, sometimes I think I should include a glossary of terms. It’s common for me to receive a reply with “please explain” asterisks dotted throughout the document. I certainly know what “proper English” is. After all, I’m qualified to teach English as a second language. But when it comes to casual letters or conversations, I let my Aussieness show through and that’s when the fun begins.
In
fact, it reminds me of when native Spanish speakers taught me their
language and had a ball messing with my head. They’d teach me all sorts
of loopy phrases that I innocently learnt and then tried out on their
parents. The raised eyebrows and dropped jaws made me realise I’d just
made a clanger. Mind you, my friends would be on the floor, rolling
around in fits of laughter.
I
do get the chance to turn the tables every now and again and yeah, I
can see why my Spanish speaking friends found it so much fun. But when
it comes to the serious stuff, like my writing, I need to really think
about what I want to write and how I need to write it.
My
main characters in my novels are Australian. I like putting an Aussie
on the world stage as I find their personalities and lyrical way of
speaking interesting and fun to play with. But there are some hazards.
The last thing I want to do is have my characters sound like Crocodile
Dundee. I love that movie and it did do a lot for Australian tourism,
but seriously, we don’t speak like that. Nor do we go for a walkabout in
the desert. Well, some people do, but it’s not a regular occurrence. I
could go on and on about stereotypes, but that’s not this week’s topic
so I better move on!
Because
I want to dominate the world and have my books available in every
country... actually, scrap that. I want to have them available in every
galaxy (yes, sarcasm is a major part of being an Aussie), I have to make
sure people can actually understand what I’m writing. If I fill the
pages with Australian phrases and terms, no one will understand what I’m
writing about. But if I don’t add the odd Aussie saying in, then people
think my character is English or American. It’s a fine balance and
that’s why I’m so thankful for my wonderful critique partners. They read
my work with a non-Australian slant, and they’re smart enough to get
what the slang means. But every now and then I put in a curly one that
leaves them scratching their heads. It’s a constant balancing act and
one I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp on—now.
A
lot of Australian slang derives from England, and of course there are
many phrases and terms we use that are North American. As you know,
Australia is a multi-cultural country, so we also have a lot of words
that have been adapted from a myriad of nations. We enjoy adopting
foreign words and turning them into our own. I do, however, feel for
people who grace our shores for the first time, especially those who
have English as a second language. Lina wrote a wonderful post
about her adventure in learning English and how difficult it was. Throw
some Aussie slang and a thick accent in, and you have a recipe for
disaster. But rest assured, Aussies are a friendly bunch who are
accustomed getting blank looks after we speak, so we’ll find another way
to get the message across, even if it means getting out a piece of
paper and crayons.
And
of course, I couldn’t finish the post without sharing some of my
favourite words and sayings. But be aware, some of these haven’t been
used for decades. Go on, give them a whirl!
Cactus: something that is dead, e.g. the bloody TV is cactus
Chook: chicken
Cleanskin:
A bottle of wine bought without the label on it. Usually bought from
companies that have an abundance of a certain vintage of wine.
Coathanger: Sydney Harbour Bridge
Mad as a cut snake: very angry
Dag: technically the yucky bit that hangs off a sheep’s bum, but in Australia a dag is a funny person
Earbashing: nagging
Feral: hippie
Furphy: false or untrue e.g. she’s told the biggest furphy
Grundies: underwear
Mystery bag: a sausage (also called a snag)
Nuff-nuff: not very intelligent
Rack off: go away (not that polite)
Root rat: someone constantly looking for sex
Screamer: someone who gets drunk easily e.g. “She’s a two pot screamer” refers to someone who gets drunk on two glasses of beer
Show pony: someone who dresses to impress
Tall poppies: successful people
Tall poppy syndrome: someone who talks badly about those successful people
Woop Woop: invented name for a small, unimportant town e.g. he lives out near Woop Woop
*Oh my, I am very busy
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