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local lingo?


beandownunder

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I have to say it was when we were moving into our long term rental and the real estate agent asked us when we were "shifting in", it completely threw me and I had to ask her what she meant, and now I know she meant when are you moving your stuff in. Sort of getting into the swing of it now, I now accept swimwear is not a term here, and its bathers.

 

Other things I found strange and you may do when you get here is after swimming lessons, lots of the kids, just wrap a towel round them and then go home, when we first went for swimming lessons I thought it was because the pool had no changing rooms, but its not, it just how they do things here. We now do the same thing, Emily just wraps a towel round her and we drive home, but also older people do it too, at water aerobics it is very weird to see 60/70 year old ladies get out of their car in just a swimsuit and nothing else and then do home with just a towel round their waist over their swimsuits (and yes I have done this once too and found it very liberating).

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Guest guest9824

Devo'd....devastated

rego.....registration

Tinnies...cans of beer

arvo...afternoon

stubbies....beer coolers

eskie ....beer coolers

snaggers....sausages

vaccuum (not Hoover) ....

singlet...sleeveless t shirt

thongs...flip flogs

trackie dackies....loose fitting long jogging pants

Drongo.....idiot

 

Pea

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I have to say it was when we were moving into our long term rental and the real estate agent asked us when we were "shifting in", it completely threw me and I had to ask her what she meant, and now I know she meant when are you moving your stuff in. Sort of getting into the swing of it now, I now accept swimwear is not a term here, and its bathers.

 

Other things I found strange and you may do when you get here is after swimming lessons, lots of the kids, just wrap a towel round them and then go home, when we first went for swimming lessons I thought it was because the pool had no changing rooms, but its not, it just how they do things here. We now do the same thing, Emily just wraps a towel round her and we drive home, but also older people do it too, at water aerobics it is very weird to see 60/70 year old ladies get out of their car in just a swimsuit and nothing else and then do home with just a towel round their waist over their swimsuits (and yes I have done this once too and found it very liberating).

 

Yep and apart from being liberating, it is sooooooooo much cooler in the summer!

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When I was doing my working holiday thing in the late 1960's (and yes I am an old fart now) I was working in an insurance company office in Perth for a while and one day the Manager asked me to pass him the durex...... I nearly passed out before someone told me that was what they called selotape! Thankfully it now appears to have the common name of "sticky tape"! I had forgotten all about that until I saw this thread...... just told my son about it as we sit here on the patio after a swim, and he spat his beer out, coating the 35kg dog trying to sit on his lap, and roared with laughter! Wish I had me camera handy!

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Tallies - beer bottles with long necks

"She'll be right" - It'll be fine

"All good, mate" - It'll be fine

"No worries" - Great! Good!

Fair dinkum - genuine/true. Can be applied to an individual - "Oh, yeah, he's fair dinkum!" or to reinforce your commitment when there may be the potential for disbelief, "I tell ya, next time I see 'im, I'm gonna bloody tell 'im, fair dinkum mate."

"Too easy" - The task has been/will be completed in a satisfactory manner and it will not be a challenge in any way, shape or form.

Blackfella - Casually applied to indigenous Australians

Budgie smugglers - tight Speedo's

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The one that makes me chuckle is "cracking the s**ts" meaning someone having a go or getting upset as in:

"Man, she was cracking the sh**ts about ....."

 

I have to say casual swearing seems quite common but not offensive in any way, as in the sentence above.

 

Oh and semi skimmed milk is called HiLo?!!

Edited by Nikkis2000
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Bingle - low speed car accident.

Stubbies - beer coolers, small beer bottles or shorts!

'Bingle'? Is this named after Lara Bingle? Cos I've heard she's had a few rear end shunts in her time..... Mods please feel free to delete if you see this is as not appropriate.....

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'Bingle'? Is this named after Lara Bingle? Cos I've heard she's had a few rear end shunts in her time..... Mods please feel free to delete if you see this is as not appropriate.....

 

I have no idea what or to whom you are referring so AFAIC it can stay.

(Unless of course 'rear end shunt' is a euphemism for something rude in which case it's almost past the watershed so I still say it can stay :biggrin:)

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'Bingle'? Is this named after Lara Bingle? Cos I've heard she's had a few rear end shunts in her time..... Mods please feel free to delete if you see this is as not appropriate.....

 

Forget Lara Bingle..... she has nothing to do with anything apart from getting off with blokes who finance the lifestyle she wants to live.... SLUT comes to mind!

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following from another thread, what's the strangest local lingo you've heard since you arrived? it will give us all an advantage for when we arrive!.....

J x

 

I wish you'd posted this yesterday....I've started clearing out the last few things I held onto....one of them a book Matt found clearing out the loft at work called "how to speak australian". I could've posted some typical lines for you. Trouble is every time I picked it up the sample conversations had rude, racist and sexist connotations, all in the Aussie lingo...not really PC in today's society!

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