How To Speak Australian - A Guide For Yanks and Canucks

PODcast: How To Speak Australian - A Guide For Yanks and Canucks
Jeremiah25 offers a brief guide on how to pronounce critical Australian words correctly for our American and Canadian members, in an effort to cross cultural divides and win them more beers when they visit Australia.

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file: bts_humorpodcast_464.mp3
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I have been wating my whole life for this PodCast, THANKS!

Weird! Walking to the shops this morning, out of the blue I was stuck by a random thought and found myself saying Australia, Melbourne and Brisbane to myself (not out loud) in an American accent and wishing someone would teach Americans to speak "Australian". Do you fullfill other wishes? I also wished for secure, honest employment on that walk. He He.

So why is it that no matter how often we correct people they refuse to come to party and "lower" themselves into our "easychair", relaxed way of speech?

I do so hope that your lessons will be taken to heart as it does bug many of us, no doubt more than it should, that so few foreigners seem to care about not offending our Aussie ear.

I have this theory...that before any aussie names ANYTHING, they smoke a fistful of crack, which has led to the eventual drawl.

Kangaroo. Wallabe. Dingo. Nowra. Orange. Wodonga. Bundaberg. Gympie. Toowomba.Fremantle.

Up here in Canadia, at least we know how to use the 'oo' sound. And we had the common sense to realize that no one can beat the All Blacks.

No one.

DE

Originally posted by DeusEx
I have this theory...that before any aussie names ANYTHING, they smoke a fistful of crack, which has led to the eventual drawl.

Kangaroo. Wallabe. Dingo. Nowra. Orange. Wodonga. Bundaberg. Gympie. Toowomba.Fremantle.

Up here in Canadia, at least we know how to use the 'oo' sound. And we had the common sense to realize that no one can beat the All Blacks.

No one.

DE

I have no idea what you are on abOOt!

Those places (Except Fremantle) are all Kooli (aka. 'Australian Aboriginal') names, which had cultural significance to the natives.
For example, Uluru ('Ayre's Rock' in english) is said to be the resting place of the Great Rainbow Snake, who created the world in the dreamtime (jukurpa). For the most part, the names of places that appear to be of kooli origin, are simply the family names of the tribes who lived there.

PODcast: How To Speak Australian - A Guide For Yanks and Canucks (reply 1)
BH tries her hand (or mouth) at proper Uhstawyan pronunciation.

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file: bts_talkpodcast_490.mp3
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Jeremiah25, good podcast

maybe you can make part 2......like a sunglasses=sunnies guide or something like that.

sporty

Jam instead of Jelly.. :0)

PODcast: How To Speak Australian - A Guide For Yanks and Canucks (reply 2)
fingapointa goes flat knacker trying to explain Orstralyn talkin' an' that..

length: 05:35
file: atspodcast_509.mp3
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Originally posted by DeusEx
Kangaroo. Wallabe. Dingo. Nowra. Orange. Wodonga. Bundaberg. Gympie. Toowomba.Fremantle.

Up here in Canadia, at least we know how to use the 'oo' sound. And we had the common sense to realize that no one can beat the All Blacks.

No one.

DE

Get real - you missed the best with lots of 'oo' sounds Wooloomooloo. And the All Blacks can and have been beaten - just not by us (too often) :

Originally posted by SportyMB
Jeremiah25, good podcast

maybe you can make part 2......like a sunglasses=sunnies guide or something like that.

sporty

aaaaaaaaaaah but how do we explain the subtlties of our language?

How do you explain to a yank the differences between Chucking a sickie, chucking up or just chucking ? not to mention how to use them correctly and recognise them.




and $10 to anyone who can successfully explain what a bunyip is?

not to mention the two kinds of yowies



[edit on 12-10-2005 by mulberryblueshimmer]

Originally posted by mulberryblueshimmer
and $10 to anyone who can successfully explain what a bunyip is?

not to mention the two kinds of yowies

Of course my curiosity got the best of me...

Bunyip Stamp
Australian aboriginal stories describe the bunyip as an evil spirit which dwells in creeks, swamps, and billabongs. The bunyip's loud bellowing cry terrifies the aborigines. They avoid water sources where they believe a bunyip might live. Some stories suggest the bunyip emerges at night principally to prey on women and children as well as animals.

Wikipedia:

Yowie can refer to either of two mythical creatures of Australian folklore:
The name has been applied to an Australian cryptid analogous to the American bigfoot.

Yowie (or Yowie-Whowie) is also the name of a completely different mythological character in native Australian Aboriginal folklore. It is said to be a giant beast, resembling a cross between a lizard and an ant. It emerges from the ground at night to eat whatever it can find - even humans. This is sometimes considered to be the same legend as the bunyip.

I just love the education I'm getting here!

Bunyip....

don't you just love the statement - "eats women, children and animals" Not sure what that says about men but s.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o. Aussie.

PODcast: How To Speak Australian - A Guide For Yanks and Canucks (reply 3)
Jeremiah25 offers a list of 10 Australian words as per BH's request. Study them well, my friends.

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file: bts_humorpodcast_527.mp3
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Jeremiah25. Loved it. Only one small issue to raise with you and that is that the Drongo's of world are not happy.

This is a Drongo which is a bird. The name has been highjacked by humans.

usera.imagecave.com...

Originally posted by Lady of the Lake
Jeremiah25. Loved it. Only one small issue to raise with you and that is that the Drongo's of world are not happy.

This is a Drongo which is a bird. The name has been highjacked by humans.

usera.imagecave.com...

OMG, Drongos are real?!? How can it be that I have never heard this before? Still, it looks quite noble and just a little menacing. Now when I am called a drongo, I shall take a newfound pride in it. I doubt I shall have to wait long.

Here is the Wikipedia entry for Drongos, which doesn't hesitate to add that:

In Australian slang, the word drongo is a synonym for idiot.

Also check out their entry on Australian slang with such greats as woop-woop (somewhere an indeterminate yet great distance away), bogan (the closest American equivalent would probably be "trailer trash") and Seppo (a derogatory term for Americans )

[edit on 13/10/05 by Jeremiah25]

as an aussie ill give you some things to think about

firstly neva say g'day, sheila, mate or bloke you WILL sound stupid

and the saying "throw another shrimp on the barbie" never say that we dont call them shrimp ts a prawn and nobody puts them on the barbie

actually just forget every aussie slang u have heard because if u come here and use it you will sound stupid.

just listen to the people around you and speak the way they speak


and most people find it offensive if u where to comehere and speak like crocodile dundee people only speak like that way out in the outback

A slight digression but only a few weeks back I was in London and was asked by 2 Americans how they could get to "Wimbletown" then one said, "No, I think its Whimpleton". I eventually tumbled they wanted Wimbledon.

Anyway, Im off to the dunnie to press me a SNIP

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 30-7-2007 by sanctum]

[SNIP]

Oi, Where'd ya git that from?

Oh Snap

OI, Ya wanna go mate?!?!?! SNIP

Wikety Wack

Hey, can you please pass the dead horse?

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 30-7-2007 by sanctum]

heres a few more things for you cobbers to have a gander at

firstly, nobody says brisbane.
its either Brizzy (notice the Z's) or if your trying to insult them its referred to as "bris-vegas" (as in "aah go back to briz-vegas ya' galah" )

in our national anthem we sing "our home is GERT by sea"
well gert means surrounded, but you never use it in any other sentance coz it just sounds stupid.

example, you wont ever hear "THIS IS THE POLICE!! come out with your hands up, we have you GERT"

everything gets shortened, even names that have already been shortened previously.

Davo: david
Dazza: darren
Jonno - john
Bazza: Barry
shazza: Sharon
Docco: documentary
Rego' : registration (usually vehicle registration in specific)
journo: journalist
Cozzie: bathing costume (as in "get your cozzie, were going to the beach for a swim"
budgie smugglers: a mens cozzie, usually tight fitting. (budgie or budgerigar is a small parrot)
cobber: mate, buddy, pal, friend.

if someone asked you if you wanted some brittney spears they actually mean Beers
eg "hey, are ya comin down the pub after work for some brittney spears n cheers?"

Buckleys - known as a guy who's always a bit down on his luck.. eg "you got buckleys chance of winning X-lotto" or "you got 2 chances, buckleys and none" (meaning you have no chance at all)

Like a chook with it's head cut off - flustered.
"ah mate no need to carry on like a chook with its head cutoff"
drunk people usually get it wrong and say something like "no need to carry on like a head with its chicken cut off"

Like a cut snake - extremely active.
"yeah he got in his car and took off down the road like a cut snake"

Like a mad woman's breakfast - very messy; all over the place.
Like a pick pocket at a nudist camp - confused.
Like a pimple on a pumpkin - very obvious.

Like a stunned mullet - bewildered.
"dont stand around looking like a stunned mullet, give us a hand will ya?"
Like a ton of bricks - with great force.
Like a two-bob watch - makes a lot of noise.
"geez woman, no need to carry on like a two bob watch"

Bloody oath! : that's certainly true
Booze bus or Breatho : police vehicle used for catching drunk drivers
Crack a fat : get an erection
Dinkum, fair dinkum : true, real, genuine
Durry : cigarette, sometimes also called "ciggy's"
Galah : a fool.
Not the full quid : not bright intellectually
Pommy bastard : an Englishman
Ripper : great, fantastic
Smoko : smoke or coffee break
commo: holden commodore. also known as a "commy" (not russian type)
Snag : a sausage
Tall poppies : successful people
Yakka : work (noun), as in "thats hard yakka' digging this trench"
Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights")
Yobbo : an uncouth person. usually considered worse than a bogan.
Bogan : similar to yobbo. (aussie version of redneck)
ocker: bloke, as in "hes just your average ocker"
Flanno': flanelette shirt
Gander: to have a look
thingo': an aussie version of a thingy
dad n dave: to have a shower + a shave
trackie's: tracksuit pants.
pie with dead horse: a meat pie with tomato sauce, or ketchup to you yank's
kiwi - new zealand'er
deadly treadly - bicycle.
donk : motor "aah i cant go to the pub for some brittney spears after work coz my car's donk blew up yesterday"
Servo: no its not a gizmo in robots and RC cars, its a petrol station (shortened version of service station)
lezzo : lesbian.
tazzie: tasmania.
hoo'roo: goodbye
thongs: they are worn on your feet, i think you yank's call them flip flops?

now, lets put our newly learnt aussie words into a sentance with some bogan-isms.

the donk in me commo broke so davo and bazza gave me a lift to the local where we had a few brittney spears and seen shazza dance topless but we think that she's a lezzo.
so like a bloody galah davo asked for a captain cook under her cozzie, but she wouldnt let him have a gander at her map of tazzie.

so he grabbed his flanno shirt, lit up a durry, jumped in his car and took off like a cut snake..he hung a yewy and his driving was like a mad womans breakfast.

on the way home he got pulled over by the bretho' who also found the rego had expired on his car. the cop was a sheila but he knew he had buckleys chance of getting with her, especially since he was wearing his daggy old thongs + budgie smugglers.


definition of a bogun


bogan pic's





[edit on 14/8/07 by Obliv_au]