While moving across the world to a foreign land was certainly daunting, the move was a bit less intimidating as we assumed there’d be no language barrier. Since moving here, though, we’ve found (much to our delight) that Australian vernacular includes a lot of words and phrases that are used almost like but not quite like how they’d be used in America, which can lead to a bit of confusion. They also use a lot of words we’d previously never heard, the meaning of which isn’t always self-explanatory. Most of these words/phrases evidence the friendly, happy, and relaxed attitude we have found most Aussies to have.
Below are a few of my favorites Aussie words/phrases that I run across frequently:
Nice: A word Americans typically reserve to describe a not-so-attractive-but-very-pleasant date from the night before (whom you never plan to see again), Aussies fully embrace the word and actually intend it as a compliment. When a peanut butter sandwich I’ve made is described as “nice” by an Australian, in that ridiculously beautiful accent of theirs, it feels like the highest compliment. That accent makes even the most mundane words sound distinguished.
Aluminum: the word is spelled exactly like the way we spell it, but pronounced in such a way to render it almost unrecognizable: al – loo – mini – umm. I love it!
Thongs: Thongs here refer to flip flops, and they are ubiquitous: people of all ages wear them everywhere, with practically every type of clothing. Since Americans typically use the word to describe the skimpier sort of underwear, I try not to giggle each time I hear it. My American expat friend Sarah who has lived in Oz for many years recalls traveling back to America and asking the (blushing and dumbstruck) security officers if they wanted her to take off her thongs before going through the metal detector.
Goodonya/goodonyou: when you’ve done something that impresses an Aussie, they quite agreeably say, “goodonyou/ya” (sometimes followed by “mate”). Oftentimes I’m bestowed with this phrase after achieving something that didn’t (or shouldn’t) require much effort on my end.
E.g.,
-Mandy: “I crossed three streets today without being hit by a car.” [Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road, so every day without being hit by a car is a personal victory.]
-Aussie: “Goodonya!”
Sultanas: they look and taste exactly like raisins but yet the word “raisin” is nowhere to be found in Aussie grocery stores. I’ve just learned from the authoritative source urbandictionary.com that a sultana is not exactly the same as a raisin:
Sultana: an annoyingly addictive fruit kind of like a raisin but browner, smaller and more sugary. Is included in the breakfast cereal Sultana Bran.
Chicken schnitzel: Like a giant fried chicken breast or enormous, flat chicken nugget, chicken schnitzel is one of the staples of Aussie pub food. They are also sold pre-breaded at local groceries stores for less than $2 and can be pan-fried in about two minutes flat. They are delicious (but perhaps not too nutritious).
Mate: yes, people you don’t know refer to you as their “mate.” It’s a friendly expression that’s quite endearing.
Ta: like many Brits, some Australians say “ta” instead of “thank you.” I love this too – it’s as if it’s just too much effort to utter “thank you.”
Nappies: diapers are nappies. At Syd’s daycare, Syd gives her teachers a blank stare when they ask if they can change her “nappy.” I’m working on adding this word to our vocabulary.
There are so many more great Aussie phrases and words. These, though, are my favorites. Anyone else have others to add?
