Learn a bit of Australian Culture - 'Oz Kolcha-Strine Slang'
Regatta Hotel, Coronation Drive, Brisbane.
Where else than to sit and spin yarns? Learn OZ slang...
Try this with your students - check with Mick or another Aussie for inflection and mangled vowel sounds!
| 'ang on a minute mate | wait a sec, give me a mo, won't be long... |
| 'ava bloody go | try something, get up and fight for your beliefs, dont give up too readily |
| billabong: | waterhole |
| billy: | container for boiling tea |
| bloke: | man/chap/cove/fellow/galah/mate/little bewdy |
| bloody reffo- | referring to newcomer (migrant/refugee) from overseas |
| bloody rip-off - | to catch some on with an unfair deal |
| bloody write-off | absolutely no good for anything, total wreck,... |
| bloomin' unreal | preposterous unbelievable.. cannot believe it |
| bludger | one who cadges or depends on others for everything he can get.... |
| bonza grub | good tucker, nice food, bloody good kai.. |
| bonzer: | great, terrific,bloody, shocker, snazzy, ripper, just the doll's eye, never better. |
| bush: | country away from the city, anywhere you want to go, scrub/ gully./ sticks. |
| chook: | chicken/fowl,rooster, sometimes lady,(the old chook) |
| cockatoo | someone who keeps guard in case of danger or cops |
| dime a dozen | cheap, easily obtained, worth very little |
| dingo: | Australian wild dog, low mongrel, swine, bloody dingo, (one who creeps around) |
| dinki di | real,fair dinkum, genuine, granted, I swear it is right.. the real thing |
| fair dinkum: | honest, genuine, real thing, |
| flamin great | just the doll's eye, best possible, high class |
| fossick | to prospect for gold or gems, usually in the creek bed, fossick, look through heaps of goodies |
| g'day mate | typical aussie greeting |
| grazier: | farmer, shearer, jackaroo, cow cockie |
| grouse | first class, really good, the best possible |
| have a go - | try anything once |
| jumbuck: | sheep (male) (we'se not ewes we'se rams) |
| kicked the bucket | had it, died, carked it, passed on |
| lovely shielas | beaut women |
| make a good fist: | do a good job,bloody beaut job, ripper, up to scratch |
| ocker: | basic down-to-earth, usually tough, needs a bit of polish, full of heart, genuine stuff |
| outback | remote bush, scrub, jungle, rainforest,desert, gully, matilda highway, nullabor, creekbed |
| play two up | illegal coin game only allowed on Anzac Day-using 2 old pennies - heads and tails |
| pom: | English person, usually one who has never seen a shower, Prisoner of Mother England, usually called Pommie bastards |
| sheila | girl, lady, woman, maid, lovely aussie female. |
| she'll be right mate | dont worry about anything - things turn out ok |
| Shiela - | pet name for aussie girl |
| shout: | buy a round of drinks, pay for mates' drinks |
| station: | sheep or cattle station (no not ranch) selection, farm, property, holding, allotment |
| strine: | what Aussies speak (no not strine, bloody slang mate) native language embroidered with adjectives)-Australian |
| swag: | bedroll and belongings, usually a blanket with all your goods rolled inside, slung over the shoulder, makes a good bed for man and his dog |
| tucker: | food,chow, bush tucker, (from trees and vines) roo, snake, croc, emu, etc |
| turn up for the books - | anything unexpected, forthcoming result... for inappropriate action |
| up the ante | put on the pressure... hot things up... |
| ute: | utility or pickup, anything with wheels, usually an old FJ or Ford. Pickup, truck, bitzer, trolley |
| waltz matilda: | carry a swag, hump your bluey (swag) go on the road carrying everything you own, usually in the Great Depression |
| windbag | excessive talker, one who holds the floor all the time, over talkative mongrel |
Mick Calvett
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