John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

There's a humorous advertisement running on the radio here in the USA for Qantas Airways, encouraging leisure travel to Australia.

One of the assertions made in the ad is about the friendliness of the people... One example given is that whatever one's first name is, Australians will add an "-O" to it as a kind of endearment... The example they use is "Dave" becomes "Dave-O."

I'm wondering if that's really true, and if it is true, whether it may only be typical of certain regions. (I know Austalia is a really big place!)

If I ever come there to visit (one day, right?), can I expect to be called "Keith-O"?

Also, I've seen this in the description for years now:

• The language could get real okka in here mate.

What the heck is "okka," anyway?

I already looked up "wombat" years ago... We don't have those over here!

At least I got the "mate" thing right away though... Thanks to (Sorry... It's true...) Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin.

I need an Austrailian-English to American-English translator... Who's going to step up?

--Keith(-O?)

Keith - it's all explained in these two songs

Okka, don't knokka

and

Whatever happened to Drongos

cheers
john

OK, those songs are cute!

But... I still don't get it, dude!

--Geekth

Keith - I can no more explain the aussie colloquial terms any more than you can explain yours...... Dude??

The adding the "O" is typical - Dave does become Davo, John - Johno Jack - Jacko but Keith wouldn't. It could become "Keitheee" with a guttural eee but not all the time, it depends on whether it's your shout or not

It's your shout means it's your turn to buy the next round of beers. Beer makes up 50% of all alcohol consumed, wine 30%, spirits 20%.

A great deal of our terms originated in the gold fields where the Irish and British had an influence - cockney from the brits plays a big part.

Fair Dinkum actually comes from the Chinese who made up 20% of the gold field era. (yes - we had a gold rush too, remember the last scene in Bush Cassidy where they decide to go to Australia?? ) Dinkum meant pure gold so Fair Dinkum became to mean genuine, he's fair dinkum meaning he's honest and good. Australians like to believe that they are fair dinkum.

The term "Digger" originated in the gold fields and meant exactly that - someone who dug for gold but it soon stood for our soldiers, the Diggers, from WW1 and later wars. Our vets are known as Diggers but anyone can use the term as in "How are you going digger?" so it becomes another term when you can't remember someones name, like maaate .

Mate has many uses. The sad downward inflection maaate means "I feel for you, you didn't deserve that" whereas the straight clipped version Mate! basically means hello. Maate?? with an upward inflection signals "what the fuck are you doing??" and can be used to pull someone into line. The long low pitched maaaaate means "isn't this great, or I'd like to get into her pants"

A significant number of Australian colloquialisms are affectionate insults or backhanded compliments. A clumsy friend or colleague may be called a 'dag', 'galah', 'drongo' or 'boofhead'. We tend to shock people overseas with our backhanded compliments which are intended as affection. "Not a bad job mate for someone as ugly as you " would be a compliment on the job and your looks, well to an aussie anyway.

BTW it's QANTAS, no U - it stands for Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services (PTY LTD) which was purchased by the government and became our national airline. It's the only airline in the world that has never had an accident causing death. It's recognised as the safest airline. It's since been sold by the government and floated on the exchange. It's now facing a private equity takeover bid.

I hope this helps.

cheers
john

Thank you John! I really do find all this fascinating! I hope that someday I can experience Australian culture first-hand.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go correct my spelling of Qantas for the second time!

--Keith

Well John has it in the bag....nicely put Johnno!

(I get simply El.........as opposed to Eliot)

A wonderful read for you Sharward is by one of your own ex-pats...

"DownUnder" the book by the infamous Bill Bryson...hilarious and true....mostly

Also is a song AUSTRALIANA http://www.austentayshus.com/history.htm

It is now 25 years old (or thereabouts) but bloody funny.

My uncle speaks the Jack Lang very well - very popular here up to the 1950s apparently and still comes up from time to time in conversation..You speak The Jack (or the Jack Lang - old Aus Prime Minister) is sometimes used -
derives as John says from the Cockney slang but uses Australian references -

"he's speaking Jack"

i.e. The Jack Lang = slang

e.g.

YOu have finished at the pub and are heading home - "gonna hit the frog"
= Frog and Toad - the second word of common phrase rhymes but is often dropped - takes some getting used to

"gonna hit the frog"
= I am going to hit the road...= head home

http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/languag ... gslang.htm

BUT politically it is not beyond the realms of possibility that we may the next star on your flag.... - and our lingo is quickly losing it's roots and moving to Americal stye slang and clothing and music and ....but that is another story......so if you come Sharward you are very welcome - you'll love it - just get out of the cities for some "ocka" sounds..



See ya mate

Yeah...if you're ever over here keith , I live near the California strip of the Sunshine Coast which is like pristine beaches and protected bushland..15 minutes from Noosa , one of Australias top destinations.

cheers

N
Y
M
O
(notice the o at the end..generally refers to a surname..mine being Nyman becomes Nymo, Robertson becomes Robbo , Davidson Davo etc etc )

And some of us don't drink beer..so we are not all stupid !

This is fun!

I'll check out those links later.

I'm sorry that our slang and such is taking over down there... I guess we had too much of it and had to open exporting as a relief valve...?

--Keith (a.k.a. "Sharro?")

Look out for the drop bears when you are here