Aussies, help!!!!!!

[MattyB]

Since Colin, Troy and Danylle have visited, and with a little coaching from Wal, my Australian accent is coming along nicely. It's in the works, but I'm expecting an audition soon where I've got to pull off the OZ accent. With the script and a little time I think I could do it, but this particular project is going to have a lot of improvisation. So one of the things I really need is some of the lingo. Like I would say, "That's a gang of palms over there", but I think an Aussie might put it more like, "At's a bloody train wreck of palms over there ay?" So what lingo can you throw my way so I can start working it into my vernacular.

[BS Man about Palms]

Are you going for the "over the top Aussie" or the "subtle one"?

[paulgila]

you mean they have a "subtle one" now???

[Kim]

Preparing for a ripsnorter earbashing from Wal, or Peachy, or Colin, or Troy, or...

[MattyB]

ripsnorter earbashing! I love it.

[Walter John]

Are you going for the "over the top Aussie" or the "subtle one"?

Good point.

For some early homework Matty, try and nickname people more often by ending their names in "o", "a" or "y".

"Steveo, Bazza and Joey are comin' over the sarv for a barbie and for once they're bringin' their own bloody grog. We're gonna watch the flamin' cricket and Deano's bringin' his sheila who hates cricket so we're up for a bonza arv. I've got aussie crawl and barnesy lined up on the stereo so alls good."

[ariscott]

Matty,

It will all depend on the period & the location of the Aussies. Sydney/Melb Aussies are more subtle. The rural lots have broader accents. The more north you go, the broader the accent is generally. The people from FNQ & NT seem to have slower and more drawl accent (if you know what I mean). I have a bit from living here since 1993, but I would call my accent very subtle. Most American can understand me quite well, but they couldn't understand Scott whom I thought didn't have a very broad accent.

Get an Aussie idiom book and start using them. They love using idioms in their conversation. For example, I was running around like a chook with its head cut off. or I am flat out like a lizard drinking - which is a funny Australian idiom as lizard usually drinks very very slowly...

The Northern QLD & NT usually put an 'ay' at the end of the sentence. And we say 'reckon' a lot...lol

I hope that helps...

Regards, Ari

[MattyB]

Great stuff thanks. Question: What is "the starv"? The house? and what is a bonza arv?

[Dypsisdean]

Matty,

It's a very colorful language. I checked this site for some slang. http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

So if you want to play the part of an Aussie yobbo, you need to lair it up, and open your lunch a bit. Then she'll be apples.

Or before the audition, you could hit the turps and give it a burl. But don't come a gutser with a liquid laugh or technicolor yawn. Or make a blue and get in a bingle and take a ride in the booze bus.

But if you need to chunder, find a dunny fast. And if you have any bush oysters use a bushman's hanky when there.

You're a bonza bastard, and don't be gobsmacked if you get the part. You can be a tall poppy. Just don't be a figjam, be grinning like a shot fox.

I hope this is some good oil. Hooroo

[ariscott]

the sarv = this afternoon.

bonza arv = great afternoon.

Oh.... and Aussies love shortening everything...

Regards, Ari

[MattyB]

ahhhh crap now I'm really confused.

[Dypsisdean]

In doing my slang research I noticed that there seemed to be more slang words for booze than anything else, followed by slang for vomiting. I'm not sure what to make of that.

[ariscott]

That Aussies are a bunch of piss-heads?? Of course.... lol

Regards, Ari

[Dypsisdean]

That Aussies are a bunch of piss-heads?? Of course.... lol

Regards, Ari

Ari,

You will have to be carful with using "piss" in the U.S. - it means an entirely different thing.

I notice in the slang dictionary that piss means beer down under. And a "gutful of piss" is drunk, and a "piece of piss" is an "easy task." But don't come up to the U.S. and invite someone over for a glass of piss. You won't get many takers.

[palmislandRandy]

Matty, Eat a Marmite or Vegimite sammich. Once your eyes uncross you'll be speaking Aussie, no problem!

Randy

[DoomsDave]

Dead horse = tomato sauce?

What's the etty for that?

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

ahhhh crap now I'm really confused.

You'll nail it Matty, I'm a kiwi living here if I

can get away with it so can you.....

P.S. Kiwi's eat Marmite, and Aussie's eat Vegemite.

Ari wots an etty, I know a back etty..

sorry Dave..

Edited December 10, 2010 by calyptrocalyx&licuala freck

[OldNed]

Etty=Etymology-the study of the history and origins of words

Etty of dead horse=*tomato sauce: It's Rhyming Slang. If you pronounce horse as "Awse", then sauce sort of rhymes with horse....Tomahhto sawse=dead awes

The origins of Australian Rhyming Slang terms sometimes get lost. Example: We Yanks (anyone from the USA) are "Seppos"

Here's the etty-Yanks=Septic Tanks..then, because of shortening (as in afternoon=arvo, etymology=etty), we became Septics which has become Seppos.

*In Oz, Ketchup is called Tomato Sauce

Two of my favorite slang terms for vomit..Sidewalk Pizza (Footpath Pizza) and the Technicolor Yawn

[John in Andalucia]

Matty, just don't end up doing a Dick Van Dyke!

[Daryl]

Matty, mate, I'd suggest you youtube some genuine aussie language in action, then look for other seppo actors trying to speak strine...that'll show you what not to do...

Throw 'mate' into every sentence and you'll be half way there...fair dinkum, mate!

Bonza is virtually unheard of in modern Oz...but is still part of the history of our language.

Daryl

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Matty,

Sometimes I listen to Aussie radio. Here is a link. http://www.australianliveradio.com/

Look for the News/Talk shows for hours of language skills. The newscasters have the "genteel" accent but lots of callers on the talk shows have the thicker accents with lots of terms and expressions.

[Walter John]

Matty, mate, I'd suggest you youtube some genuine aussie language in action, then look for other seppo actors trying to speak strine...that'll show you what not to do...

Throw 'mate' into every sentence and you'll be half way there...fair dinkum, mate!

Bonza is virtually unheard of in modern Oz...but is still part of the history of our language.

Daryl

Hi Dazza, I still hear "Bonza" a lot when coupled with bewdy (beauty) as in

"have a look at me ute mate, she's a bonza bewdy".

translated

"why don't you have a look at my utility motor vehicle my friend, isn't it quite beautiful"

[ariscott]

No... I don't hear Bonza much either, Wal. And they do talk like that here.... lol. Don't you just love Darwin??

Matty,

I haven't seen any actors do a good Aussie accent. So, hopefully you can....

Regards, Ari

[MattyB]

Oh, no pressure.

[John in Andalucia]

Oh, no pressure.

Eye, nigh preesha!!

[paulgila]

why is it that rural people all have a much broader accent? its just a theory i am working on,but works for all the examples i can think of.

spring valley.

[Walter John]

Oh, no pressure.

Sounds like you might be under the pump.

[philinsydney]

Maybe Mavis Bramston can help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlIXw18v92A

[philinsydney]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAqE2d9S5vg&feature=related

[palmmermaid]

why is it that rural people all have a much broader accent? its just a theory i am working on,but works for all the examples i can think of.

spring valley.

Maybe because of the isolation from city dwellers. The people of Appalachia have an accent closer to a Scottish brogue than anything else in the States because many of the early settlers cam from Scotland and were isolated for so many years, even today.

[nomolos]

Also rhyming slang

sky rocket - pocket

frog and toad - road

franz Liszt - pissed

Bag of fruit - suit

pitch and toss - boss

dog and bone - phone

captain cook - look

and so on ..........

[Tyrone]

Matty,

It's a very colorful language. I checked this site for some slang. http://www.koalanet....lian-slang.html

So if you want to play the part of an Aussie yobbo, you need to lair it up, and open your lunch a bit. Then she'll be apples.

Or before the audition, you could hit the turps and give it a burl. But don't come a gutser with a liquid laugh or technicolor yawn. Or make a blue and get in a bingle and take a ride in the booze bus.

But if you need to chunder, find a dunny fast. And if you have any bush oysters use a bushman's hanky when there.

You're a bonza bastard, and don't be gobsmacked if you get the part. You can be a tall poppy. Just don't be a figjam, be grinning like a shot fox.

I hope this is some good oil. Hooroo

Maybe it's a west Ozzie thing, but people don't really talk like that much here. Maybe it's because we have the biggest English immigrant population in Australia over here. Also a lot of Aussie slang is derived from English Cockney slang and many of the expressions are the same. But in general, at least here, if you started saying "Bonza", or "she'll be right", or "put another shrimp on the barbie" all the time you'd be laughed at. We call them prawns anyway, and their better in a stir fry or fried with garlic.

Best regards

Tyrone

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Etty=Etymology-the study of the history and origins of words

Etty of dead horse=*tomato sauce: It's Rhyming Slang. If you pronounce horse as "Awse", then sauce sort of rhymes with horse....Tomahhto sawse=dead awes

The origins of Australian Rhyming Slang terms sometimes get lost. Example: We Yanks (anyone from the USA) are "Seppos"

Here's the etty-Yanks=Septic Tanks..then, because of shortening (as in afternoon=arvo, etymology=etty), we became Septics which has become Seppos.

*In Oz, Ketchup is called Tomato Sauce

Two of my favorite slang terms for vomit..Sidewalk Pizza (Footpath Pizza) and the Technicolor Yawn

Another expression is Matt went outside and had a chuck. usually to get rid of the beer so he can carry on drinking.

In South Australia they tend to finish a sentence with, this is will be good but

the word but is substituted in NT and Qld with the word eh (ay) as in this will be good ay.

many colourful expressions are disappearing due to USA TV programs.

The term mate is still used regularly, it means different things depending on the placement in a sentence ie Maaate, what do you think you are doing (usually the speaker thinks you are doing something stupid), , come on mate, lets go. friends doing something together, he's my mate (because you are). hello mate (because you wish to convey friendship whilst forgetting there name, We tend to think of our mates as Mate which can cause us to have a brief memory loss of their real name.

When you here a person referred to as Johnno, Davo, Tommo etc it usually indicates they are a tradesman in the building industry as it is a common slang used in that industry. Mateship is important in Australia, you stand by your mates. For example aussie's tend to stand by their mate's country the US, weather we agree or not with the US point of view, but if the chips are down we stand by our mates. We will tell you what we think afterwards (good or bad) when we know that everything is OK. that is how is works here with mates (friends). the expression comes to mind. "if your mates can't tell you , who can" So come on over mates, it not that far over the big lake,

So it was good to catch up with a few mate's in California when visiting and hope a few will come and visit us Aussie's down under soon

regards

Colin

.

[ariscott]

Hey Tyrone, here they say 'she'll be right' all the time, but you are right... no Bonza or shrimp.

Regards, Ari