Welcome to part 3 in the Australiana 101 series, the stress-free, there-will-be-no-test-afterwards education program. The objectives of the series are two-fold: to provide a platform for Australians to explain themselves (because it’s about time we did) and to foster clear communication while nurturing positive global relationships. (We’re also hoping you’ll forgive us for sending Rupert Murdoch your way but we had to get rid of him, we really did... sorry.) It is also intended to assist non-Australians to avoid possible pitfalls which may occur, for example, with use of the term “root” as elucidated in part 1 and “pissed” as noted in part 2.
If you inexplicably failed to peruse part 1 and/or part 2, you can catch up here:
Australiana 101: Translations for non-Australians (part 1)
Australiana 101: Translations for non-Aussies (part 2)
This week we begin with items of Clothing (requested by blue muon), drift nonchalantly into Wildlife, check in on Sport, drop in on Miscellaneous, quickly dip into common phrases and conclude with Swearing (which we’re quite good at as you will see in the accompanying video).
But first, here’s one which was missed by shanikka’s DAH in last week’s “pissed” group of words plus another that came to mind during the week:
Taking the piss: taking the mickey; a favourite Australian pastime.
Piss-up: social gathering which features the imbibing of alcoholic beverages
Clothing
Jumper: knitted sweater (for Quilldriver)
Holy jumper or Sunday jumper: well-worn jumper with holes, usually located around the elbows
Bathing costume: swimming suit
Bathers: swimming suit
Swimmers: swimming suit
Cossie: swimming suit
Budgie smugglers: brief swimming suit for men, also known by the brand name “Speedos”
(Pictured) Aussie Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, in budgie smugglers (we've asked him never to do this again - it's embarrassing.)
Drizabone: (dry-as-a-bone) half- to full-length oilskin overcoat, originally worn by stockmen but now in more general use; the name is derived from the most popular brand.
Akubra: wide-brimmed hat to shade the face from the sun or head from the rain; this word is also derived from the brand name made famous by golfer, Greg Norman.
(Pictured right) Three people modeling drizabones; the bloke is also wearing an Akubra
Boot: (1) footwear (2) trunk of a car (for Quilldriver)
Stubbies: shorts, usually dull in color (grey, brown) with elasticized waistband and loose fitting legs. Yobbos wear stubbies.
Wildlife
Budgie (pictured right): abbreviation of Budgerigar, a small, colourful Australian bird known in America as the common pet parakeet, shell parakeet or love bird. Aussies will tell you, however, that “It’s a bloody budgie, mate – get it right!”
Cocky: (1) cockatoo (2) farmer (3) arrogant
Brumbies: wild horses
Lyre birds: these birds are named for their lyre-shaped tails. They are among the most talented mimics in the animal kingdom as you will see and hear from this excerpt of the documentary "The Life of Birds" by David Attenborough:
Roo: kangaroo
Wobblies: wallabies, smaller version of the kangaroo and very cute.
Red Back – (1) Red Back spider made famous in the Australian song: “There was a red back on the toilet seat when I went there last night” (2) brand of beer
Mozzies: mosquitoes (for Dood Abides)
Flies: we seem to have more of them than any other country and, like mozzies, they thrive in Summer and disappear (thankfully) in Winter.
The Aussie salute: a wave of the hand back and forth in front of the face to ward off flies
Sport: This week’s featured sport is Aussie Rules Football and I turn this section over to Ozajh who provided this inimitable description:
The major football code here is (quite logically) called Australian Rules. One of the infractions in this code is 'Holding the Ball' (when legally tackled), which is inevitably abbreviated to 'Ball' by supporters attempting to persuade the match officials that such an infraction has occurred.
So it is common to see one player on top of an opponent on the ground, and thousands of voices bellowing 'Ball' with no salacious intent at all . . .
Miscellaneous
Stubby (pictured inside stubby holders): short stocky beer bottle (for PeterFallow)
Stubby holder (pictured outside stubbies): cup-shaped and made of foam-like material, these are literally holders for beer stubbies or cans. The stubby holder keeps the drink cool and is easier to hold than glass which has become slippery with condensation. Children use stubby holders for soft drinks
Soft drinks: sodas
Esky: cooler container for drinks and food; ice cubes or ice packs are used to keep drinks and food cool. Eskies are indispensable at barbeques, the beach and sporting events. Large eskies hold more stubbies than small ones. This may seem an obvious observation but it is a very important one for blokes. Forget guns – real men carry big eskies! (for Dood Abides)
Fairy floss: cotton candy (for Quilldriver who is getting an inordinate amount of attention this week...)
Biscuit: cookie
Tim Tams: possibly the yummiest biscuit in the world, it is approximately 2 inches long by 1 inch wide and comprises a chocolate-covered chocolate biscuit sandwich with soft chocolate in the center. It’s a chocoholic’s delight!
Tim Tam straw: this is made by biting off diametrically opposite corners of a Tim Tam. You then dip one of these corners in your coffee or hot chocolate, place your mouth over the other corner and suck up the liquid through the biscuit. It beats dunking!
The next three in this group were also on Quilldriver’s list:
Gaol: jail – pronounced exactly the same way (accents notwithstanding)
Carpark: parking lot
Kerb: raised edge separating a footpath from gutter and roadway
Footpath: sidewalk
Common phrases
'Ave a good one: (1) in general: have a good day; (2) specifically: enjoy what it is you are about to do.
SMIDSY: Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You. In the words of OptimizerDad: “Usually said after driver of a parked car opens his door suddenly and fully, into the path of a speeding cyclist.”
Get along with you: (1) you’re pulling my leg (2) friendly way of asking someone to push off without causing any offense
Go on!: Really! An expression used when reacting with surprise or disbelief
Swearing
Swearing is commonplace in the speech of many, if not most, Australians. In some places, like work environments or the home, it is not so much discouraged as mined for profit. A swear jar is placed in a prominent location and receives a predetermined amount every time a swear word is uttered. Profits go to various causes, usually a social gathering for those who contributed. Given that this natural resource is plentiful, the Campaign Against Vulgarity decided that this mining effort should be conducted on a national scale and produced the following video to promote it:
I hope you all enjoyed this week’s program. If you’ve come across some Aussie lingo and you’re not sure of the meaning, please mention it in the comments and I’ll add it to the current working draft. Tune in next Saturday from 10:30am EDT for part 4. (◕‿◕)
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