Aussie Speech [Part Deux]

More Aussie Slang that I've managed to come up with after a month. =]

Thongs- The first thing that automatically comes to mind? G-strings. Yeah, we all have a sick mind to boot. But in Aussie, it basically means flip-flops, slip-slops, slippers or anything other term you can think up for it, with those little Y shaped things at the top. Once, during Saints Trek, Jiah, one of our Aussie exchange students told us all she was going to put on her 'thongs', to which all the guys in the group jumped and all eyes immediately followed her. She had to explain to them that she meant 'slippers'. =P

<-- Thong? Or Thong? -->

Ta- Also short for 'thank you'. This has been said to me at work many times, and I unfortunately did not quite understand at first, until I finally realised that it meant 'thank you' after it was said to me everytime I got something done correctly. XD

Mate- Now this one is extremely weird, because over here, they call EVERYONE mate. I reckon if the Prime Minister allowed it, they'd call him 'mate' too! I've been called 'mate' numerous times to my face, and it's really weird considering I'd never go 'How's it going mate?' to anyone.

Macker- At first glance, anyone would think this word referd to McDonald's. Nope, you are SO wrong. Although if it IS also a shortened version for McD's, then they've got one hell of a marketing scheme going here. 'Macker' actually refers to a best friend.

Macca- THIS is the one that refers to McD's. =)

See YA!- The Aussie way to say 'Good bye'. It seems perfectly ordinary to say such a thing, but of course, in the traditional true blue Aussie way, they have to differentiate it by adding an extremely nasal accent to the 'YA' bit. So go ahead, give it a go, and see where it takes you. =)

Strange? Indeed, and if I concentrated hard enough everyday, I could probably keep them coming. =)
And in all fairness to Aussies, I will soon be doing a post on Malaysian slang as well, and humourously criticise it the way I've been doing it with the Aussie slang! XD [Hmmm, might downplay the criticisms though, since I do still use the occassional 'lah'!]

Mishy <3

Aussie Speech [As confusing as it really sounds!]

G'day mate!

The cry known around the world as a true blue Australian greeting. Probably made all the more famous by Steve Irwin on his Crocodile Adventure series. America must think that that's all Australians say around here, like a broken record. "G'day...G'day...G'day...G'day..." However, people here don't even say that. XD I'm not too sure where the world gets this notion that every Australian says this, but seriously, they don't.

And then, just when we've gotten over the 'G'day', everyone here LOVES saying 'No worries!'
Possibly made worse by the way they pronounce it: Naw wah-reys!
These are just the hardcore Aussie citizens with their hardcore Aussie accents though. Most Australians have gone very neutral with their accents, due to the international enviroment that they live in.

Of course, we could never leave out 'Fair Dinkum', which means, true, or honest. Supposedly. XD
I've heard a few people use it before, and it's confused me to no end until I finally decided to google it and figure out what in the world they were on about.

Last, but not least. To all Malaysians and South Africans, please make out this word:

Gaol.

You get a prize if you do.
That, my friends, is the Australian spelling of the word JAIL.
Yes people, JAIL. Yes people, believe it or not. I was sitting in history reading all about the tortuous Japanese attacks and came across this word. Upon which I began going 'gah-ole', 'goal', 'jah-ole'.
And then I looked it up in the dictionary and figured out it was actually jail.
I reckon I need compensation for this.

So ends my episode on Australian slang.

Christmas is coming up very very soon.
And for some reason, it doesn't seem as exciting.
Maybe because I now have a job and have to spend it on the poor souls that I like to call my family?
Hmmm, maybe I should be more stingy so that I can be more excited for Christmas...XD

Mishy <3