Comments on: Aussie-ism Slips of the Tongue

By: elsja

elsja — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:41:34 +0000

How funny Daisy… that’s the one thing I do say all the time- but I said that well before I moved here. It’s a pretty common phrase in CA too.

By: daisy

daisy — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:37:30 +0000

haha! I love it!! I refuse to say “no worries” but I don’t mind a few of the others.

But the yeeeaaahhh thing – LOL – I say that too. It’s a TOTAL australian thing and my family makes fun of me too.

By: Tripacerchick

Tripacerchick — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:26:35 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve made it to your blog. Today, I was driven to it. But I’ll get to that in a minute…

Your post reminded me of when we lived in Hawaii… I REFUSED to speak pidgeon (and only do today as a joke, like “Noni no can” meaning Noni you can’t come). I would get so frustrated with the business professionals around me speaking pidgeon on a daily basis, I would have to call the mainland at least once a week to speak to someone normally, or else fall in line…

As for what drove me to your blog, my lovely husband has applied for a pilot position in Australia and I have no idea what to expect. (and the best part is he did it without consulting me first…) I don’t know what to expect, so I’m reading your experiences to get an idea. I have a discussion going on at PWC, so if you have any suggestions/ideas, you can reply back to me there.

Thanks!

By: Juli

Juli — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:02:16 +0000

Willie and I say “Maccas” as a joke. But that’s it. I love all the different stuff they say over there but I feel the same way you do

By: LizKay

LizKay — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:35:50 +0000

Totally agree; I think the same way about this subject.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:36:48 +0000

I agree! But those of us with preschool aged kids sort of have to use some Aussie-isms (pram, nappies, “rest” instead of nap, rubbish) just so they will understand what people around them are saying. My favorite so far is when my 3 yr old sings “Where is Thumbkin” and says “How ya going today sir?” instead of the traditional “How are you today sir?” It totally cracks me up and makes me realize how much we are all influenced by the words we hear so often.

By: Monique

Monique — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:35:18 +0000

I absolutely agree! I saw Aussie words like rubbish rather than garbage, things you need to get you by day to day, but some of the terms just sound silly coming from me. I have lived overseas for over 8 years now, and I still say some things ‘American’ when I’m talking to my parents and some things British or Aussie (just like you said – I do the muym or mom thing too!) I’m not Madonna after all:) I think it sounded ridiculous when she had a British accent after living in London for like a year! I do think my inflection has changed, and some sayings (I kept telling my family to buy a ‘return’ ticket when they were here for the ferry and couldn’t figure out why they were giving me confused looks – ohhhh round trip) but otherwise, it’s just the WAY I say things rather than what I say – and like you said – a lot of that comes from spending a lot of time with your parnter as well:) Granted he comes out with Americanisms now & then as well now after all these years!

By: elsja

elsja — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:13:44 +0000

Oh Dana… like I said- I will filter what I say depending on who I’m talking to. SO I will say esky if I’m talking to an Aussie, simply because I think they will understand me more if I do. But it never slips out involuntarily. I just wouldn’t say it by accident to other Americans.

Kevin… I actually think the word reckon ALL THE TIME in my head but I refuse to say it. That’s not even because it’s Australian. That’s more because to me it sounds super southern and if I start saying reckon, I might as well start saying y’all.

Erin… my kids will sleep in cribs too. I have started adding Us to the word harbour but only if I’m talking about harbours in Australia. Harbors in the US still have no U. I feel like I’m differentiating between two completely separate languages.

By: Lil D

Lil D — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:31:03 +0000

Great post! Instead of Andrew’s “yeaaauuuhhh” my Mom and Dad calling me out for saying Steve’s “yep” all the time. Since I’ve been back in CA, people I used to know and strangers have commented on my Aussie accent…which makes me laugh and cringe when it is said in front of Steve because we don’t hear it at all and it’s not something I am consciously doing. I am with you in that people who step off the plane and suddenly use all the slang are lame, but then again I get yelled at by our friends if I don’t use their slang (Dammit Yank, it’s an ESKY not a cooler!) so I only use it when I have to. Also in agreement on the eee words, especially when it is coming out of a guy’s mouth…very cringe-worthy!

By: Kevin Naples

Kevin Naples — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:34:22 +0000

Yeah, I gotta admit, the word ‘reckon’ comes out of my mouth way too often, and I cringe everytime I use it. But as you say, when you’ve been here this long, its just inevitable. Ah well… Aussie language, I admit defeat.

By: Erin Parkes

Erin Parkes — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:43:18 +0000

Oh that’s funny! I relate to SO much of this post. I’m not sure when it was that I started spelling things with an ‘S’ and a ‘U’ but somewhere along the line it became ‘realise’ and ‘neighbour’. But still to this day I worry when I write emails to people back home that they will think I can’t spell. I refuse to use the word mum to describe my mother. Like you, my mother is MOM and Gregg’s mother is MUM. I hate the word mummy because seriously all I can picture is a real mummy. Oh, and don’t get me started on cards. I hate trying to buy birthday or Christmas cards for my mom because they say “To Mum With Love…” I pick and choose my Aussie-isms. I LOVE the word bloody. Best adjective ever. I do say “how ya goin” but I’ll be damned if I’ll ever say bikkie or pressie. And if I have children here, they will sleep in a crib, not a cot and will have a pacifier and not a dummy. I like that you are turning a little bit Aussie… it is inevitable. But I give you permission to smack anyone that ever tries to call you ‘Elzzzzzzzaaaaaah’.